Meet Mr Perfect
by Miharu Endou
Summary: When you have everything you could possibly wish for in the palm of your hands, what else could there be to ask for? A love life, perhaps? NxM
1. Chapter 1

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Note: **(August 20, 2012) Edited again. Hihi.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gakuen Characters, the brands and the characters.. They belong to their respective owners.. :D Please don't be too harsh on me.. :D

**Summary: **When you have everything you could possibly wish for in the palm of your hands, what else could there be to ask for? A love life, perhaps?

* * *

_**Chapter One**_

Signature outfits, luxurious gadgets, a III-storey mansion with two swimming pools, three guest houses, one monster company and three concert halls, and an insanely good-looking physique, what more could Natsume Hyuuga ask for?

"I think it's time for you to find yourself a girl who you'd want to settle down with. You're 25 years old, you're rich and you've got the company where you want it to be. I know the feeling of being on top is overwhelming, but why won't you give time in going out? Natsume, a lot of girls are willing t do anything just to be your girlfriend." The calm and unusually girly best friend, Ruka Nogi, said as he paced back and forth in Natsume's office.

The raven-haired man snorted in his seat and said, "You've gotta be kidding me, Ruka. I've got too many things to handle to have time to go out. Look at you and Imai. You've been together for two years now, but she still blackmails you and takes embarrassing pictures of you, and you look miserable. I've never even seen the two of you in the honeymoon phase, or whatever people call the sappy 'sweetheart' 'cupcake' and other pastry-calling endearment stage."

Ruka chuckled a bit and sat on the couch. He said, "I'd probably start worrying if Hotaru starts calling me 'Sweetheart'. We may look odd when we're together, but that's just who Hotaru is. She never really shows others that she can be emotional. But, when we're alone, she softens up a bit. And, I kinda find it cute when she takes pictures of me. It's somehow the only way that she can stay near me. You'll understand me once you have a girlfriend, as well."

Natsume stood up and fixed his coat and tie. He glared at his best friend and said, "I'll take a pass on that one, mate. All the girls that I've met and dated are too materialistic and pompous. They're all the same. Even the ones that dad introduced to me, they only want me for my money, power and body."

"Conceited, are we? Stop being stubborn. Just please come with us. Hotaru's got a friend who's also single, and she's a nice girl. I know her personally and we've kind of had history together, so I can assure you she's a decent woman. She's one of the most famous pianists in Asia. Come on! I'll stop pestering you if you do. Please? Just one date." Ruka pleaded with too much effort.

Natsume sighed and gave in. He disappointed his friend too much, so he said, "I have no other choice, do I? You're still as stubborn as ever, Ruka. No wonder we're best friends. If you didn't have a job, I'd probably hire you because someone as persuasive as you would do well for my company. I'll only agree just this _once_. If this fails, I will never permit you to arrange me on a blind date. Do you understand?"

Grinning widely, Ruka nodded his head and said, "I promise you that this won't fail. It's Hotaru Imai we're talking about. She doesn't have weird friends. I'll call her right now to arrange the date." He took out his iPhone and dialled his beau's number.

After a while, he said, "Hey, Hotaru. Natsume said we can hook him up on a blind date with her. Uh-huh... Yeah... I know... He'll behave... I promise... No, of course not... I kno— But... Okay... Yeah... You know him... He'll be in his best behaviour... Okay... I'll tell him... See you later... Love you... Bye."

Looking professional, he stood up and shook his best friend's hand. Ruka said, "Congratulations, my friend. You will be joining us for dinner at the Hyatt Hotel this Saturday. You will be going there at 7pm sharp. _Don't_ be late. You know Hotaru. She hates tardy people. And, Natsume? Please _try_ to have fun and be nice, okay? Don't talk about business and don't wear your usual suit. Don't wear your coat. Try your new light pink long-sleeved, formal wear and the pants you wore for last month's gathering at the Hyuuga's."

Natsume stared at him and pretended to be shocked. He said, "Mother, is that you?"

Ruka laughed humourlessly and said, "Ha ha. Very funny. Please, Natsume, be nice. Hotaru's very protective over her loved ones. The person you're meeting is really special to her. She's even having second thoughts on letting her friend go out with you."

Natsume tapped Ruka's shoulders and said, "I'll try to behave. I don't want that deranged girlfriend of yours decapitate me. She freaks me out too much."

* * *

"Hotaru, you meanie! You shouldn't set me up on dates like that. I don't even know the guy!" Mikan Sakura shouted while lying on her best friend's bed.

Placing her book on the bedside table, Hotaru said, "Mikan, I'm doing this for you. You'll be thanking me in the future. And, don't worry. I won't set you up with a dirty old man or some deranged man who is into S & M. We're setting you up with Ruka's best friend. I'll even give you a little make over if you go."

Mikan didn't like the idea of dating. She only dated once, and it was Hotaru's recent boy friend. She's still a bit bitter about their break up, especially because she found out that when they were still dating, he already fancied her best friend. She was alright with it already, but she promised herself that she that she will not date again until she turns 28. Stupid, right? Not for Mikan.

Mikan walked to the piano and pressed some keys. She frowned and said, "Hotaru, you do know that I had a vow about the dating thing, right? But, since you're my best friend and Ruka and I dated, I guess I'll give it a shot. But if this fails..." She pressed all the keys together forcefully, making a disturbing noise, and looked at Hotaru, an evil smile visible on her face.

She continued. "I will never date again. I will stay single and bitter and live with 28 cats and I'll name one HOTARU, and I will stay in my basement. So my future lies in your hands, dear." And then she played her favorite piece, Scherzo Tarantella.

Hotaru rolled her eyes and said, "That will never happen. My plans never fail. You know me, Mikan." And then, she approached Mikan and caressed her hair while Mikan played the piano.

Mikan closed her eyes, but still played the piano, and said, "Mmmmm.. I guess you're right. I trust you. But, Hotaru?"

"Yeah?" Hotaru said.

The pianist stopped playing and said, "Don't let me fall too much, 'kay? I don't want to get hurt again. To be honest with you, I'm still bitter about what happened. It's been two years already, but I still have nightmares. Whenever the three of us are together, I still... Ugh. Never mind." Mikan stood up and took her phone in her bed.

"I'm sorry if it's still bothering you. I can't tell you that I understand, because I don't. So, I won't say anything but this; I will always be here by your side and no matter what happens, you will always be my best friend. I don't usually say this, so I won't repeat myself, okay?" Hotaru looked away as she said that.

Mikan ran to Hotaru, hugged her tightly and said, "You don't talk a lot, but when you do, you say the best things. You will always be my best friend, too, Hotaru. I love you!"

Mikan tried to kiss her but Hotaru pushed her away and said, "Don't push it. It's a good thing I don't have my idiot gun with me."

The brunette just giggled and still hugged her best friend. This rarely happens, so Hotaru let it be and hugged her best friend back.

* * *

Yes. I've edited it over and over again. Hoho. I'm so sorry. I hope it's better now. Still going through with the other chapters. XD

Fancy a review? :)


	2. Chapter 2

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Note: **(August 20, 2012) Edited again. Hihi.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gakuen Characters, the brands and the characters.. They belong to their respective owners.. :D

* * *

_**Chapter Two**_

_Saturday…_

**RIIIIIING! WAKE UP YOU STUPID IDIOT! IF YOU WON'T WAKE UP IN FIVE MINU**—

Mikan groaned as she turned off the noisy alarm clock. She looked at it in contempt as she reminded herself not to buy any of Hotaru's products anymore. She stood up and checked her phone.

"12 new mails received. Wow. What time is it?" Mikan said as she scrolled down to see who mailed and what they were about.

Beads of sweat trickled down her neck when she saw who mailed the most. _Hotaru_. Uh-oh. Hotaru hated it when people do not reply to her mails, especially because she only sends one when it's urgent. Mikan opened one mail and it said;

"_I'll be at your house at exactly 11 a.m. Do not make me wait, Mikan Sakura._

_I will be bringing Sumire, Anna and Nonoko with me to help with the makeover._

_Make sure you'd reply, Mikan._

_-Hotaru_

_[ end ]_"

She decided to read the other mails as well and it was:

"_Let me guess. You're still asleep, aren't you?_

_Wake up already, you idiot! When I come there, I want to make sure that everything is prepared._

_We will do the makeover immediately. I do not want any time to be wasted._

_-Hotaru_

_[ end ]"_

And:

_"Mikan Sakura, it's 10:30. We'll be coming in 30 minutes._

_I expect you to be in your clean, white robe and I want the makeup and other necessities to be ready. I want everything to be organized._

_-Imai_

_[ end ]"_

She sighed and gasped and immediately frowned when she saw Ruka's mail for her. It said;

_"Good morning, Mikan._

_I hope you have fun later. Don't worry, my best friend's a nice guy. He doesn't bite. :D_

_I'm actually quite surprised you haven't met him yet, seeing as we, well... you know._

_So, yeah. :)_

_See you!_

_-Ruka_

_[ end ]"_

She giggled a bit when she read his mail. He was still the same as ever, childish and kind, just like her. She was a bit disappointed though when he put addressed her as Mikan. He used to call her Micchi when they were still together.

The young girl placed her phone back on the table. She screamed when she realized that it was 15 minutes before eleven. She immediately called Yuki, her helper, and told her to prepare all the things needed while she took a short bath.

While showering, she thought, _'Now that I see it, it looks like a bad idea. What if I get embarrassed? What if he's a maniac? Oh no. My virginity could be on the line here. I could just imagine an old, fat geezer touching me and laughing hysterically. I will totally kick him in the shin if he does that. But, I don't think Ruka would be friends with people like those, so maybe I'm just exaggerating a bit. Ugh. If only it were someone like Ruka. I want someone simple and someone who understands music the way I do.'_

After taking a bath, she wore her underwear and covered herself with her white robe. Since Hotaru hadn't arrived yet, she decided to sit down in front of her dresser and face the mirror. She applied lotion on her skin, then started to brush her hair.

"It's so long already! It's only been a month since I went to the salon. Hmm." Mikan said to herself whilst examining her now longer hair.

Mikan was startled when she heard someone pounding on her door. Must be Hotaru. She stood up and opened the door, only to be run over by rolling dress racks and her four best friends.

"Mikan, stop loafing around and stand up. We've got a lot to do today." Hotaru said as she passed by the flattened Mikan.

Anna and Nonoko helped her stand up while Mikan said, "I wouldn't be on the floor if I didn't get knocked down by your stupid dress rack."

Sumire rolled her eyes and said, "Enough with the chit-chat. Yuck. Mikan, you look totally horrible. Your skin looks pale and blotchy. It's a good thing we're here to help you. Anna, you'll be in charge of her face. Nonoko, you'll be in charge of her nails. I'll be in charge of your hair. And, Hotaru will be in charge of your outfit. Okay? We have 6 hours to fix you, so sit back, relax, and leave it all to us, 'kay?"

Mikan just nodded her head, and then everything started. Hotaru left for a while to buy lunch for all of them. Anna applied some facial mask that came all the way from Egypt.

"_Oh_. I feel like an Egyptian queen! Is this the one made of gold, Anna?" Mikan asked and looked at herself in the mirror.

Anna hummed cheerfully and said, "Yes, it is. To be honest though, you don't need this. I don't think your face looks blotchy. Your skin's already soft and silky. Hotaru just wanted me to do this to make you perfect. You must be meeting someone big-time, aren't you?"

The brunette shrugged and said, "I have no idea. Hotaru never really told me who we're going to have dinner with. But, she told me that he's Ruka's best friend. I've known Ruka for so long, but I've never really met his best friend. Weird."

When Sumire heard what Mikan said, she ran to her and said, "_Best friend_, you say? Oh my gosh, Mikan! You must be meeting _Natsume Hyuuga_! I envy you! He's absolutely hot and gorgeous. I tried to seduce him once, but he threw me off his building. I thought my charms could capture him, but damn, it couldn't. I'll make sure that you will be able to win his heart, Mikan! Guys, let's do our best to make Mikan more beautiful than me!"

Anna and Nonoko sweat dropped and thought 'Mikan's already more beautiful than you, even without this makeover.' And then, they continued with what they did.

Mikan was really curious. What if it was Natsume Hyuuga? She didn't meet him before, but his name sounds very familiar. She turned on her laptop and searched 'Natsume Hyuuga' on google.

They saw her searching about Natsume so they stopped and sat beside her. Sumire said, "Click that one. It's all about him."

The one holding the laptop did was she was told to do and read aloud the contents of the site. She said, "Natsume Hyuuga, 25 years old, single. Mr. Hyuuga owns the most successful company in Asia, Hyuuga Corporations, and was said to be the youngest business man to ever own a company this large-scale. Though his parents are still alive, they have entrusted the company's future to him because of his great tactics and charisma. Because of his mysterious aura and Adonis-like physique, Natsume Hyuuga is considered as one of the most sought-after bachelors in Japan. Wow. Talk about perfect. I thought I'd be meeting someone as old as my grandpa. But if that were the case, then Ruka _really _ needs to choose his friends properly. Why did I even think of that?"

Mikan scrolled down more to look at his picture and stopped when she finally saw him. She was stunned. She was tantalized by those deep, crimson red eyes, even though it was only a picture. She couldn't believe that someone this beautiful could ever exist.

Though he looked like a god, his eyes were too blank. Indeed they were bloody red, but they were just too empty. It didn't sparkle the way Mikan's chocolate orbs did.

Sumire sighed dreamily and said, "He's so handsome, right? I envy him. He's hot and rich. How perfect could his life be?"

Mikan just stared at his face and said, "_…_Yeah. I guess so."

The three stared at her and raised their eyebrows. 'Love at first sight?' they all thought.

The pianist closed her laptop and let her friends continue with the makeover. Ever since seeing Natsume's picture, she couldn't remove the picture of his face in her head.

Hotaru arrived and they ate lunch silently. Usually, Mikan would be babbling about nonsense stuff but today she was just as quiet as them. After eating lunch, they continued, and since there was time to spare, they decided to give Hotaru a makeover as well.

They didn't apply too much makeup on Mikan because she would look overly prepared. Sumire then styled her hair. She first ironed it to be straighter but didn't like the effect so she decided to have Mikan's hair in a messy bun. It looked good on her.

Since Hotaru's hair is short, Sumire straightened it to make her hair extend up to her shoulders. She then applied smoky make up on her because it made the color of her eyes pop.

* * *

"Natsume, if you're gonna wear a coat, don't button it up. You'll look like you're going to attend a seminar. And would you brush your hair? It's a mess." Ruka said while looking at Natsume fix himself.

Natsume's brows twitched and said, "My hair looks fine, mother. It's fine. And stop telling me what to do. Just relax. It's not like we're going to die today."

Ruka sat down and massaged his temple to ease the stress. He said, "This is Hotaru's best friend we're talking about. Mikan is a beautiful girl, so you should look presentable as well."

"Beautiful? Well, I don't need to prepare too much because the girls like me just the way I am. You should pre―_ouch_! Why'd you hit me?" Natsume shouted.

Ruka apologized and said, "Stop being a jerk, Natsume. Mikan Sakura doesn't like that. She's a conservative woman and dislikes airheaded people. So, stop it."

Natsume shrugged and said, "Whatever. Have you seen my sunglasses?"

The blonde raised his eyebrow at him and said, "What's the use of your sunglasses? We'll be going out in the evening, Natsume. Remember?"

"The paparazzi will surely be lurking outside the Hyatt Hotel. I don't want to be pestered by those people again. They ask too many questions about my personal life. And the camera flashes blind me. It pisses me off." Natsume said when he found his favorite Rayban sunglasses.

Ruka rolled his eyes and then laughed. After a while, his phone rang, so he answered it. He said, "What is it, Hotaru?... Oh! I forgot! I didn't notice it was 5:45 p.m. already. I'm sorry... Okay... I'll be there in a while... See you."

He looked at Natsume and said; "You'll be going there by yourself, buddy. I'll be getting Hotaru and Mikan right now. Don't forget, Natsume. 7 p.m., okay? See you." And then he took his coat and left.

Natsume sat down and sighed. He took his mobile phone and surfed the net for a while. He searched for 'Mikan Sakura' on google and saw her picture and some information about her.

"So, you're a pianist, huh? This is interesting." Natsume said to himself, smirking while looking at Mikan's picture.

End of Chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**Meet Mr. Perfect**

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Note:** This chapter has been edited. :) I will be editing the other chapters in the story, as well. I will be doing some minor changes in the chapters, probably removing some unnecessary information. Do have the time to re-read it. :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters and brand in this story. Only the plot. :D

I would like to thank all of the people who gave me reviews~

It really inspires me more to write this story~ I was more inspired when Blue –Niagra, sakuraheartz, and Vione gave me a review. You guys are some of the people I look up to, and I'm glad you liked it. :D

* * *

Chapter THREE

* * *

At about 6 p.m., Ruka finally arrived and knocked on Mikan's door. He was welcomed by Yuki when he entered the house. He saw Anna, Nonoko and Sumire all worn-out on the couch, so he decided to smile at them.

"Where's Hotaru and Mikan-san?" Ruka asked.

Sumire stood up and said "They'll be here in a minute. They just needed to add some touches to their outfits. I must say, they look dashing."

Ruka smiled more and said, "I'm sure they are, Shouda-san. I know that the three of you are great makeup artists. Thank you for taking care of them."

Sumire giggled like a pig and sat again. Ruka sweat-dropped and decided to wait near the stairs to keep his distance from the girl with the green hair. He feels annoyed whenever Sumire laughs like that.

When he finally saw the two ladies, he was taken aback. Hotaru looked like a goddess in her black embroidered strapless dress. The smoky makeup made her look more mature and she looks good with longer hair.

But, when he looked at Mikan, all their memories together suddenly came back. Instead of looking more mature, Mikan looked younger than ever and she looked absolutely fresh. Her sea foam chiffon strapless dress seemed to make her glow.

He took Hotaru's hand and kissed it gently. He then whispered to her ear; "You look perfect, Hotaru. I'm glad I chose you."

Ruka tried to kiss Hotaru in the cheek, but she stopped him and said, "Don't do that in front of them, Ruka. You're getting stupid again. I know that I look perfect. I always am. You're lucky I chose you."

Mikan just laughed at the two of them, but she did feel a bit jealous. She used to be the one who was called 'perfect' by Ruka. She was the one who was kissed like that. _She_ used to live Hotaru's life.

The blonde also complimented Mikan before going to the hotel. While going there, the three of them were silent, so Mikan decided to ask, "Uhm, Ruka-pyon? Who am I going to meet? I still don't know who my mystery man is."

Ruka was a bit shocked when Mikan still called him 'Ruka-pyon', but he composed himself and said, "You'll be meeting Natsume Hyuuga. Don't worry. He's a pretty nice guy, a bit laconic though. But, he's pretty good."

Mikan just hummed and they were quiet again. After a while, they finally arrived at the hotel. Ruka gave the keys to the valet then they entered the hotel.

They sat in their reserved place and decided to chat with each other since Natsume wasn't around yet and it was still 6:30 in the evening. They still had to wait for 30 minutes. Mikan played with her blackberry while the couple talked about something personal.

Mikan was really bored and she wanted to stroll around, so she told them that she'll go to the ladies' room to powder her nose.

The hotel was indeed a luxurious place. The hotel was oozing with elegance, and with the crystal chandeliers and the Victorian-esque furniture, the place glowed.

She didn't look at where she was going, so she was a bit startled when she bumped into someone. Her purse fell, and the one who bumped into her picked it up for her and whispered in her ear, "Next time, watch where you're going… _polka-dots_," And then he walked away.

At first, Mikan was confused as to why the man called her polka-dots. She said to herself, "Polka-dots? Wait... YOU PERVERT!"

She screamed at the man she bumped into and pouted. She has never met anyone who called her with the print of her underwear. What a stupid pervert.

She thought while going back to Hotaru and Ruka _'That was embarrassing! I shouldn't have worn this short dress. I hate that pervert! Even though he looked fancy with his sunglasses, he has such a rotten attitude! I just want to kill him! If I see him, I'm gonna kill him!'_

But, when she arrived in their table, the least person she wanted to see was sitting beside her empty seat. She pointed at him and screamed, "AH! YOU'RE THE PERVERTED AVIATOR MAN!"

The man she pointed at smirked and said, "It's rude to point their finger at people. You should sit down, Miss Mikan Sakura."

She glared at him and sat down. She ignored him and said to Ruka, "So, Ruka? When is your friend coming? It seems like a nuisance is sitting beside me right now. We should call the waiter or guard or whoever to escort him outside."

Ruka chuckled and said, "Mikan, he is Natsume. I guess you met him already?"

Mikan made a pained face and groaned. She said sarcastically, "I must be the luckiest girl in the world. He's such a gentleman, because he looked at my underwear. I've never met someone like him before."

Natsume smirked more and said, "It wasn't my fault you bumped into me. I know I'm handsome, but your tactics are just too obvious. If you wanted to have my signature, you should've told me directly instead of 'bumping into me'."

She stared at him and said, "I do _not_ want to have your signature, you pervert! I knew it! This date would be a disaster!" She then covered her face in frustration and groaned more.

Hotaru got pissed at Mikan's noisiness and hit her in the head. She said, "Stop shouting, you idiot. You're acting like you're twelve. It still hasn't started, but you're already giving up. Suck it up. And, Hyuuga? Stop tormenting my best friend or else I'll be the one to torment you. Would you like that?"

The raven-haired man shook his head and fixed his tie. Mikan glared at Hotaru and said to Natsume, "Okay. Let's pretend we didn't meet a while ago. I'm Mikan Sakura, 24 years old. And you are?"

Natsume took her hand and kissed it. He stared at her through his aviator shades and said, "Natsume Hyuuga, 25 years old."

"Okay. Cool."

Mikan pulled her hand away and was hyper again. Natsume looked at her and thought 'She wasn't mesmerized by my beautiful eyes? And I was wearing my shades. Is this girl blind?'

Ruka realized Natsume's plan when he kissed Mikan's hand and chuckled. He whispered to Natsume, "That won't work, Natsume. Mikan's kinda… naïve. She doesn't care about looks."

Natsume rolled his eyes and said, "I kinda figured that out myself."

The man just stared at the woman beside him. She still acted childish, and she looked young as well. When he bumped into her, he thought she was 18. Her face was still a bit round, youth still very evident. She didn't look like she was 24.

Mikan noticed him staring at him, so she asked while munching on her food; "Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

Natsume said, "No. Just continue eating, little girl." And he thought, 'What an idiot. But, she looks entertaining when she eats. She eats like a pig. A little pig. Oh. A piglet. Whatever.'

Some people noticed that Mikan Sakura was around, so the manager approached them and said to her, "Sorry if I'm disturbing your dinner, but could it be that you are Miss Mikan Sakura?"

Mikan stopped eating, smiled and said, "Yes, I'm Mikan Sakura. Why is that?"

The manager gulped and said, "It's just that some of our customers are requesting for you to play at least one piece. They're willing to pay a reasonable amount of money."

When Hotaru heard the word 'money', she stared at the man and said, "How much?"

"They're willing to pay 100,000 yen. Is it okay?" The manager asked.

Hotaru shrugged and said, "We'll take it. Mikan, you should play."

Mikan always followed Hotaru's orders, so she smiled and said; "Okay!"

She followed the manager to the middle of the dining area, and there located was a grand piano. The manager said over the microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, a very special person will be playing the piano for us today. Please put your hands together for Miss Mikan Sakura."

The pianist smiled and sat in the piano chair. She said, "This should be a lively evening to everyone. I will be playing The Entertainer. I hope you enjoy!"

Slowly, she started to press the keys in the piano. Everyone was enthralled at the music that she could play. It was the first time most the people in the hotel heard her play live and now they know why Mikan is one of the most famous pianists in Asia.

Natsume stared at her and said, "Wow. She plays the piano smoothly. And the way she touches the keys is just… remarkable. I'm impressed."

Hotaru shrugged and said, "Does this mean you like her, Hyuuga?"

Natsume shook his head and said, "I dislike her too much to even like her. She's too hyper and loud. And, she reminds me so much of Kellogg's cereal. It's too colourful, like her. I hate that cereal. I prefer oatmeal."

Ruka laughed and said, "Yeah. It's because you're as boring as an oatmeal cereal. Ease up a bit, Natsume. Your company won't fall if you have fun a bit. You're gonna grow ugly and prune-y if you stay like that. You're just 25."

The raven-haired man ignored him and continued to stare at Mikan. The way she plays the piano made him feel at ease. It made him feel light headed and very relaxed. Though the piece is lively, it made him want to sleep. And that's not an insult. It's the first time he ever heard someone play like that.

For some unknown reason, Mikan started to glow more, and it was as if everything else stopped when she played the piano. Or maybe that's what Natsume felt when he watched Mikan.

After playing the piece, Mikan bowed and went back to their table with a smile plastered in her now blushing face. She sat down and sighed happily.

She said, "It's been a while since I last played in front of an audience. I feel very refreshed! It's like I was recharged!"

Ruka smiled at her and said, "I can see that, Mikan-san. You're blushing with joy. And I have to say this; you are the best pianist I have ever seen as of now. I'm not being biased because you're Hotaru's best friend, I'm telling the truth."

Natsume nodded a bit and said, "I have listened to a lot of pianists before, but you're a unique one, little girl. Who knew someone with such small hands could actually play something like that? It's like it was recorded or something. You cheated, didn't you?"

Mikan made a face at him and said, "I'd just take that as a compliment. I don't want a stuck-up guy like you to ruin my beautiful mood. Thanks a lot for the compliment, Natsume-kun!"

Natsume blinked at her. It was a shock that Mikan called her 'Natsume-kun' already. He rolled his eyes at her and said, "Tsk, little girl, acting like we're close already. You're such an idiot."

Mikan ignored him and grinned at Hotaru. Hotaru ignored her and continued counting the money she got from Mikan's performance. She said to herself, "Yuck, I didn't earn too much today. At least I got a hundred grand from this idiot. She's my living piggy bank. I love it. I'll get richer and richer."

They all stared at her weirdly then she said, "What? Wanna taste my baka-gun's wrath, you psychopaths?"

They shook their head and decided to ignore her. Hotaru shrugged and continued with her counting.

Ruka wanted Natsume and Mikan to be closer, so he had a plan. He grinned at them and said, "Hotaru and I will be going to Shimane this weekend. The two of you should come with us. My people there cleaned the summer house near the beach, so we'll have a place to stay at."

Eyes sparkling with glee, Mikan squealed and said, "I would love to come, Ruka-pyon! I'm glad your summer house is near the beach! We can all go swimming!"

Natsume just shrugged and said, "I'll check my schedule with my assistant. I'll try to clear it to come. I haven't been able to swim for a year now. Aoi will be glad if she finds out that I had a vacation."

Ruka liked that about Natsume. Once he learns to love, he'd love that someone with all his heart. He loved his younger sister, Aoi, too much. He smiled at him and said, "I'm glad you finally agreed."

He then whispered, "I'll be helping you, Natsume. I want you to get to know Mikan more. I won't take no for an answer, okay? Stop being mean to her. And, I don't want you to stay inside the house and do your work, okay? If I see your work in my house, I will burn it all in front of you even if you try to kill me."

After eating, they left and told each other they'll keep in touch for their plans this summer.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

This chapter has been edited. :D I will be editing the other chapters in the story, as well. I will be doing some minor changes in the chapters, probably removing some unnecessary information. Do have the time to re-read it. :)

Please RATE and REVIEW~~ XD


	4. Chapter 4

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

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**(6/29/12: ****this chapter has been edited)**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the characters and brand in this story. Only the plot. :D

Again, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed. You inspire me. :D

I am sooo glad I went to cram school. Our lessons in English help me improve my grammar. XD YEY!

Anyways, here's chapter four!

**Chapter FOUR**

* * *

Yuki was concerned about Mikan. It's been a while since Mikan left without her, and she was worried about her connection with Natsume Hyuuga. Ever since the blind date, she has tried her best to convince Mikan not to go. Mikan ignored her until it was too much for her.

She tried to calm herself, sat down in the couch and said, "Look, Yuki-san. I've always respected you since I was a kid, and when my mother was still alive, when she brings me to Japan so that she can continue touring, you became my mother-figure. But, why exactly are you trying to stop me to go to Shimane with Natsume-kun, Ruka-pyon and Hotaru?"

Her fifty-five year old nanny sat down beside her and replied, "Mikan-sama, though you are 24, there are still a lot of things you do not know. As your guardian, it is my duty to protect you. Your mother has entrusted you to me. You've suffered with a broken heart because of Hotaru-san and Ruka-san, and now, they pair you up with Ruka-san's best friend. Mikan-sama, Natsume-san is one of the most eligible bachelors in Japan. Not that I'm degrading you or anything, but he could easily replace you with another girl."

Mikan laughed and said, "Awwww, Yuki-san. I'm glad you're concerned about me, but I can handle myself now. Hotaru's there to take care of me. And, don't worry. I'll slow down on Natsume-kun. So, please, stop worrying. I'll be fine."

She hugged Yuki and Yuki sighed. She has no other choice but to stop now. Mikan let go and continued packing her things. Hotaru and the others will be coming at about 7 a.m., and it's already 6:40.

"Yuki-san, have you seen my swimsuit?" Mikan said while rummaging through her closet.

Yuki didn't answer, but immediately approached Mikan with two swimsuits in her hand. She said, "These are your newest ones, Mikan-sama. You should bring both."

Mikan took it and said, "Thanks a lot, Yuki-san! You're _really_ helpful. You don't know how grateful I am to have someone like you."

Finally, Mikan finished packing and changed her outfit. She decided to wear a navy keyhole, halter top and ice white stretch denim 7-pocket shorts, and she wore her favorite grey lightweight aviator sunglasses.

When she looked at herself, she made a face and said, "Woah, Natsume-kun wore aviator shades, didn't he? He'll keep on insulting me again. Good thing I didn't wear polka-dots today!"

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door and said in a creeping calm voice, "Mikan, you better be ready to ride the car now."

Mikan sighed and said to herself before getting her things, "Tsk. Hotaru." And then she ran out of the door and screamed a '_see you'_ to Yuki-san.

When she entered the car, she was surprised to see Natsume in the back seat. He ignored her and continued to listen to some songs in his iPhone. Ruka smiled at her through the mirror and said, "Hotaru wanted to sit beside me, and apparently, Natsume never rides shut gun, so I let him sit there. We'll be travelling for the whole day, uhm, about 8 hours. So, we'll be arriving in Shimane at about 2 or 3 p.m., but we'll be having a few stop-overs on our way."

Mikan nodded slowly while listening to him and replied; "Oh, okay. Don't worry, I don't mind sitting with Natsume-kun for the whole trip. I'm sure he'll be ignoring me today. I think he didn't even feel my presence when I came."

Suddenly, Natsume removed his sunglasses and stared at her. He said, "As a matter of fact, I've felt your annoying presence the moment you opened the door, striped-printed bikini girl."

With her head slowly turning to his direction, Mikan fumed and tried to say calmly, but miserably failed, "How did you- YOU ARE SUCH A PERVERT!"

Natsume pretended that he didn't hear her and continued to listen to his music. Mikan got more pissed, but decided to pretend to be hyper again and sat _extremely_ close to Natsume. Since she was hyper, she moved a lot, and that distracted Natsume so much, especially because Mikan was hitting him in his sensitive spots. (Mind you guys, it's not what you think it is)

He felt totally uncomfortable with what Mikan was doing, so he slid his hand on her waist and held it tightly to make her stop. He then whispered in her ear, "Stop moving or I'll throw you out the window."

Mikan immediately stopped, but she felt uncomfortable. Natsume's hand on her waist made her immobile, and it was also very warm. Mikan tried to shrug it off, but Natsume's grip on her was too tight.

Every attempt she did to remove Natsume's hand on her waist was futile. He gripped her waist tighter every time she moved. He whispered in her ear, "If you continue moving, I will kiss you. Seriously, you're pissing me off."

"You… wouldn't," Mikan said.

Natsume glared at her and said, "I would."

That totally stopped Mikan. Since she didn't have anything to do, she slowly drifted to sleep. She leaned to Natsume's side, and fell asleep with her head on his shoulder. He was about to shake her off when he saw her sleeping face. He just let it be and continued listening to his music, then slowly drifting off to sleep as well, his head resting on her head.

Hotaru saw them through the mirror, so she took her camera and took pictures of them. She said to Ruka, "They'll thank me in the future."

After a few hours, Natsume woke up and noticed that Mikan was still asleep. They were gonna eat lunch, so Mikan needs to wake up. He shook her slowly, but she wouldn't budge. He then tickled her and neared his face to hers to shock her when she wakes up.

He said, "Wake up, ugly."

Mikan's eyes opened and stared at his. She gaped at him, turning very red. When he saw her expression, he smirked and said, "Woah, stripes, you're as red as an apple."

Mikan looked away and muttered something unintelligent. Natsume chuckled a bit at that. Surprised, Mikan's head immediately turned to him and accidentally… their lips touched.

Natsume stared at her in shock as Mikan was rendered immobile, her eyes as wide as his. Their lips were still brushed against each other, but neither of them moved away. They just stared at each other.

They only looked away when Ruka saw them. He coughed to make them feel his presence. He laughed a bit and said, "You can make out again later when we reach Shimane. It's time for lunch. Who knew Natsume could be an aggressive man? I didn't, or rather, I wasn't allowed to kiss Hotaru until she gave me permission to during the 23rd date."

Mikan blushed and screamed, "We're not making out, Ruka-pyon! It's just that his face was too near mine, and I suddenly looked at him and it happened!"

Ruka laughed more and said, "If it was an accidental kiss, you could've looked away immediately, right? But, the two of you didn't, so that means the both of you liked it."

Natsume glared at him, a slight tint evident in his cheeks, and said, "Shut the hell up, Ruka. We didn't kiss. It wasn't considered a kiss. If it was, she should've kissed back, or should I say,_ I_ should've kissed back. Our lips just touched. Nothing more. So, zip it and let's eat."

Though Mikan's 24, it's her first time to be "kissed" on the lips. Well, Ruka did kiss her, but only on the cheeks. Natsume left immediately without looking at her and said, "Get out, stripes. We're gonna eat."

Mikan nodded and followed him. She could've sworn she saw his neck turn pink. When they entered the restaurant, it was awkwardly silent. Hotaru noticed it and said, "Why are you so quiet, Mikan?"

Mikan shook her head and smiled, "I just feel a little sick. It's been a while since I've been in a long car trip. We always ride planes when I go on tours. But, I'll get used to it. Why?"

The inverter stared at her intently and said, "It seems like you and Hyuuga aren't eating properly. Did something happen while Ruka and I were gone?"

Blushing a bit, Mikan shook her head and said, "Nothing happened. I swear. Right, Natsume-kun?"

They all looked at Natsume and waited for his reply. He was eating his spaghetti that time and didn't hear what Mikan said, so he asked, "What're you looking at? You have your own spaghettis, don't take mine, idiots."

Mikan blinked and laughed a bit. Hotaru then said, "What happened in the car while we were gone, Hyuuga? Did you molest Mikan?"

Natsume stopped eating and wiped his mouth. He smirked and said, "Who would want to molest an idiot like her? She's definitely not my type."

Mikan glared at him and said, "Who would want to be molested by a guy like you, anyways? Definitely not me!"

Hotaru rolled her eyes and said to herself, "Who would want to be molested?"

Ruka chuckled a bit and asked, "Then why did you kiss each other in the car when Hotaru and I left?"

The two glared at him and said the same time, "IT WASN'T A KISS!"

They stopped and continued eating. No one spoke after that. After eating, they all went back to the car and drove silently. Mikan and Natsume were ignoring each other in the back seat, with Natsume listening to some songs, and with Mikan playing with her blackberry.

Mikan looked at Natsume and muttered slowly, "I'm sorry."

Natsume looked at her and removed his shades. He hit her playfully in the head and said, "Idiot." And then he moved to sit closer next to her, knowing that she'll fall asleep soon again.

Mikan just laughed and took the earphones from him and listened to what he was listening to. Natsume took the left earphone and placed it on his right ear to listen as well. Soon, they both drifted back to sleep.

Hotaru stared at them and said to Ruka in a soft voice, "I guess our plan's working. This is the least we can do for all the things we hid from them, right Ruka?"

Ruka just sighed and nodded. After a few hours, they finally arrived in Shimane and were welcomed by Ruka's butler, Hiroto, and their maid, Megumi.

They helped them carry their things to their respective rooms. Hotaru and Mikan will be staying in one room and so were Ruka and Natsume.

Ruka immediately went to their room and layed on his bed. He sighed and said to himself, "I hope when he finds out, he'd still be the same."

He heard a knock on the door, so he opened it and let Natsume enter. They placed their bags on the floor and went back downstairs to hang out with the girls for a while.

They all went to the beach to take a short walk and decided to wait for the sunset. Since Mikan was wearing shorts, she went to the water to have her feet wet, but was only pushed effortlessly into the sea by none other than Natsume.

Soaking wet, Mikan pulled Natsume towards the water and screamed, "I won't be the only one who will be leaving the beach wet, Natsume Hyuuga!"

Natsume was wet all over, his aviator shades covered with a bit of sand. He twitched and said to her, "Do you know how much this costs, you little girl? And, my clothes aren't exactly cheap, you know!"

Mikan stuck her tongue out and said, "I don't care! My clothes aren't cheap, too, you conceited pervert!"

Hotaru and Ruka looked at them from afar and Hotaru said, "This is moving too fast, isn't it, Ruka? What should we do?"

Ruka just stared at them and said, "I don't really know, Hotaru."

* * *

This chapter has been edited. :) I will be editing the other chapters in the story, as well. I will be doing some minor changes in the chapters, probably removing some unnecessary information. Do have the time to re-read it. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Disclaimer: **All the publicly recognizable characters are the property of Higuchi Tachibana. I am in no way associated with the said author of the copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Note: **I know there was a fifth chapter posted already, but things got jumbled and I deleted the wrong chapter. This is the real fifth chapter. I apologize for the confusion!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATSUME HYUUGA! DON'T DIE! WE LOVE YOU!

OH OH OH AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AOGA'S OVERLORD, CARA! /shot

* * *

**Chapter Five**

"It's been a while since I've been to a Japanese festival," Mikan said, sitting down as she watched Hotaru adjust her ribbon. "And a while longer since I last wore a yukata. I forgot how comfortable these things are."

When done adjusting herself, Hotaru gave Mikan a blank look. "Well, what do you expect? You've been staying in colder countries than Japan. You'd probably die of hypothermia if you wear a yukata there."

Mikan laughed at the flatness of her best friend's tone. She nodded her head thoughtfully and said, "You're right."

"I always am."

The two then heard a knock on their door. The door slightly opened and Ruka's head popped in. "Are you ladies ready?"

Mikan nodded her head enthusiastically. "Where are we going though?"

"To the central port," Ruka said. "It's a good thing we went here today because their biggest festival, Hamakko Summer Festival, is held on August. The fireworks are absolutely amazing. I used to go here a lot when I was young and the butler would usually bring me to the festival."

Mikan stared at Ruka for a while then nodded her head again. "Oh yeah! I forgot that your father had a shipping port here."

Ruka smiled. "Yeah. Anyway, the fireworks start at about 9pm, so we can walk around the port for a while. There are a lot of food and game stalls there."

Ruka opened the door a bit and nodded his head to the direction of the stairs. "Well, Natsume and I will be waiting downstairs. Come down when you're ready."

After a few minutes of last-minute touch ups, Mikan and Hotaru finally went down.

"What, it took you guys thirty minutes to look like that?" Natsume said, standing up to straighten up his blue yukata.

Mikan stuck her tongue out at him. "Don't be such a party-pooper, Natsume. We're here to have fun, not to nag and be sour grapes."

"I wouldn't be nagging if you fixed yourself faster. And by the way, you look the same, except you're wearing a different outfit. Big deal."

Hotaru glared at the two and said, "Oh hush. The two of you are giving me a headache. Fight like an old married couple when we come back from the festival. For now, can you please shut your mouth? If you can't do that, then stay the hell away from me because I swear to God I will hurt you if I hear the both of you whine and argue again."

Natsume merely rolled his eyes while Mikan pouted dejectedly. Ruka grinned and extended his arm for Hotaru. "Shall we, my sweet?"

"Never call me that again," Hotaru said, looking disgusted, but taking the blond's arm anyway. "You should ask the two. They're probably too busy glaring at each other."

Ruka laughed at the bluntness of his girlfriend and faced the two. "Shall we, grandma Mikan and old man Natsume?"

Natsume punched the free arm of Ruka and said, "Stop trying to be cute. It's disturbing. Can we just go already?"

Ruka and Hotaru went straight for the door while Natsume waited for Mikan, who was having a hard time walking.

"You're wearing a geta?" Natsume asked as soon as he saw the footwear Mikan was wearing when she almost tripped.

Mikan pouted at him. "Yeah. I want the whole Yukata experience and it'll only work if I wear the geta."

Mikan tried walking again; the wooden slippers making a loud clapping noise each step. Natsume groaned when he saw the size Mikan was wearing. It was too big. "I don't know how you manage to survive without people looking out for you."

He called the maids. "Do you have a smaller pair of geta this idiot could wear?"

The maids immediately came back with a smaller pair, so Natsume kneeled in front of Mikan and took the pair she was wearing off. Mikan was about to protest when Natsume cut her off. "With your constant tripping, we'd probably reach the port by dawn. Since I have a feeling you'll put up a fight if I force you to wear regular slippers, might as well force you to wear a geta that's _actually _your size."

Mikan stared at Natsume for a while before grinning. She patted the kneeling man's head and ruffled it playfully. "Aren't you a thoughtful one?"

Natsume swatted Mikan's hand from his hair and stood up. He glared at her while trying to fix his hair. Mikan grinned at him and said, "Why aren't you wearing a yukata though?"

"It's itchy," Natsume said, putting his hands inside his jean pockets.

Mikan took Natsume's hand and placed it on her shoulder. She said, "It's not! Feel it! It's so soft!"

"You don't know this but you're putting images in my head," Natsume said, smirking at her. Mikan immediately blushed and slapped Natsume's hand away.

Natsume merely laughed at her very scandalized reaction. When Mikan didn't move from her spot, Natsume took her by the hand and started dragging her to the port. Mikan looked more alarmed and said, "Where are you taking me? Don't do anything perverted or I swear I'll scream until your ears bleed!"

Natsume snorted. "Please. I don't hit on little girls. We're going to the port, stupid. Did you actually forget we're going to the festival?"

"Of course not!" Mikan shouted, sticking her tongue out. "I'm just trying to be careful. I don't want to get pregnant yet."

"I don't hit on children," Natsume said, smirking at her. He then intertwined his hands with her. When Mikan was about to complain again, he said. "I'm doing this to stop you from tripping. If you trip, I will squeeze your hands tight enough, it will break. As far as I can remember, pianists need their hands, don't they? So, be careful, okay?"

As Natsume started walking ahead of Mikan, her hand still in his, Mikan glared at his back and whispered, "You're as scary as Hotaru."

"I heard that," Natsume said, squeezing Mikan's hand jokingly.

When Mikan felt the pressure on her hand, she struggled to get her hand back, so Natsume let it go and placed both his hands on his pockets. "Calm down. I won't break your hand. I'm not heartless. I know how much your hands mean to you. I won't do it."

Mikan realized that she somehow offended Natsume. She tugged on his sleeve and said, "I know you wouldn't do it. I'm sorry for offending you. Please don't get mad at me."

"I'm not mad," he said, still not looking at her. "I'm just… _Never mind. _Just forget it."

Natsume walked ahead of her and didn't look back. Suddenly, Mikan felt bad. She jogged a bit to catch up to him, and although she has a hard time doing it, she still did.

She poked Natsume in the arm and said, "Are you sure you're not mad?"

Natsume looked down on her for a while and stared at the port. "I'm not."

"Promise?"

He didn't answer for a while, but when he was that Mikan was expecting him to talk, he sighed and said, "Promise. Now drop it."

Mikan grinned beside him and hummed as they came closer to the port. When they started seeing the stalls for the festival, Mikan jumped in joy and almost fell. Natsume grabbed her by the arm and glared at her. "Can't you stay injury-free for just a day? Seriously, you need to take care of yourself. Your hands are delicate."

"Sorry, grandpa," Mikan said, pouting.

Natsume's glare seemed colder for a second and Mikan felt him squeeze her arm harder. "_Never _call me that."

The girl frowned at him and said, "It was just a joke. You don't have to be defensive."

He then closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before opening his eyes to stare at her again. "I'm just trying to tell you to be careful, because to be honest, you don't seem like you know that you have to. I'm sorry. Can we just go to the festival now? Ruka and Imai are probably looking for us."

After a few turns, they finally saw Hotaru and Ruka, playing in one of the stalls. Ruka was on his knees, holding a small scooper, while Hotaru was hovering on him and was having a murderous aura.

Just as Ruka was about to successfully scoop a goldfish, Mikan said loudly, "Finally found you!"

Ruka dropped the scooper in the water and slapped his knee. He stood up and groaned. "I almost had that fish!"

"But, you didn't," Hotaru replied, glaring at him. "We've been here for ten minutes and you couldn't even catch a fish. I want a fish. Do it again."

She then paid the vendor another hundred yen as Ruka groaned more and went back on his knees to catch a fish. Mikan stared at Natsume for a while to see if he was still angry, but he seemed to have finally cooled-off.

Mikan then dragged Hotaru away from the stall to talk to her privately. She earned a glare from her best friend, but before Hotaru could scream at her, Mikan said, "Do you know what's up with Natsume? He snapped at me a while ago."

"With your personality, anyone could snap at you," Hotaru said nonchalantly, looking at her nails.

"I'm serious," Mikan pouted. "First, he's all sweet and caring, holding my hand and all to keep me from falling, then, when I tried to pry my hands away from him when he told me he'd crush my hands, he snapped at me and got angry. I apologized, and he said it was fine, but when I called him 'grandpa' when he gave me a sermon, he got angrier. I seriously don't know what I did but I don't want him to stay angry at me. Have I offended him or something?"

Hotaru sighed and placed her palm on her face. She shook her head and said, "You could be really tactless sometimes. I'm not in the position to tell you anything, so just wait for him to open up. Just don't say anything like that again, alright?"

"But, I…" Mikan sighed and nodded her head. "Okay."

Hotaru stared at her friend for a while and started walking back to the stall. She stopped for a while and looked back at Mikan. "Let's just enjoy the night."

The auburn-haired girl grinned and jogged to Hotaru's spot and hugged her arm. Mikan had a smile on her face as she said, "You're a great friend, Hotaru."

A hint of a smile was seen on Hotaru's face. "I know."

When they reached the stall, Ruka was grinning at Hotaru. He held out his hand and gave her a plastic with the goldfish. He said, "I finally got it! It's really easy! Natsume sucks at it!"

Mikan laughed as she watched Ruka run after Hotaru. She then grinned at Natsume and raised her brows. "How about we have a contest? First one to scoop a fish wins. If I win, you'll owe me a free pass to anything. _Anything. _But if _you _win…"

"You'll be my slave," Natsume said, smirking at her, accepting Mikan's challenge.

Mikan shook his hand and nodded her head. "I'll be your slave for a week."

Natsume nodded thoughtfully and looked at her from head to toe. He then said, "Just a day will do."

The look Natsume gave Mikan freaked her out, so she covered her body in defense and glared at him. She said, "No funny business."

"As if," Natsume said, scoffing.

Mikan stopped glaring, but she still eyed Natsume wearily. She gave the vendor a hundred yen and took a fish scooper. When Natsume still wasn't paying, Mikan nudged him. "Well, aren't you gonna pay?"

"I just thought that since you challenged me, you'll pay for it," Natsume said, placing his hands on his pockets.

"My, aren't you the gentleman," Mikan murmured, passing a hundred yen to the vendor. She then took another scooper and gave it to him. "Here's your scooper. Don't expect me to catch your fish for you."

The two then knelt in front of the small fish pond and started eyeing their targets. Mikan saw a particularly small and hyper gold fish. She went for it and immediately caught the fish. Natsume hasn't even placed his scooper in the water yet.

Natsume groaned and threw the scooper on the floor. He sulked as Mikan showed him her fish. As soon as Natsume saw it though, Mikan placed the fish back in the water and said, "There you go, fella."

"Why didn't you get the fish?"

Mikan smiled at him and said, "I'm not really good with taking care of animals. I'll leave it to other people like Ruka. The fish might just die if I take it with me. Enough about that! You owe me a free pass!"

"So, claim it now," Natsume said, still embarrassed.

Mikan patted him on the back and stood up, offering her hand for him. He begrudgingly took it and stood up, as well. She said, "I'll save it for later. I'm hungry. Let's look for food! I heard the takoyaki here's really delicious."

The two wandered around in the port and bought a lot of food from the stalls. Mikan especially liked the cotton candy an old mustached man was selling. Soon, it was time for the fireworks, so they went to the edge of the seaport to wait for the show. Hotaru and Ruka were waiting for them and had saved them spots to sit on.

Mikan smiled at Natsume as she ate her cotton candy. "Thanks a lot, Natsume. You're not as bad as you look."

"Gee, thanks. You sure know how to make a man feel special." Natsume took some cotton candy and ate, as well.

After the fireworks ended, the four decided to go home. Mikan didn't want to, but Hotaru got stingy, so she didn't have a choice.

When they arrived, someone unexpected was there. Natsume was the first to approach the person. He patted the newcomer in the head and said, "Youichi, what are you doing here?"

End of Chapter.

* * *

Happy Birthday, Natsume! I'm not too late, am I?

I hope you liked it! Hooooo.


	6. Chapter 6

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Disclaimer:**All the publicly recognizable characters are the property of Higuchi Tachibana. I am in no way associated with the said author of the copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Have fun reading!**

* * *

Chapter 6

"Youichi, what are you doing here?"

After the fun stroll in the festival, Natsume's sister's childhood friend, Youichi Hijiri, was found sitting cutely on the spacious couch. Mikan was astounded by the handsome lad. He looked a lot like Natsume, but younger and cuter.

"I'm not entirely sure," Youichi said, his voice bored.

The teenager with dull gray eyes and messy light gray hair yawned and stared back at the 24-year old pianist. He then stared at Hotaru, Ruka, and then smiled at his friend's big brother, Natsume.

He pointed to Mikan and said softly, "You look aesthetically deprived...hag."

Mikan closed her eyes and twitched violently. She inhaled deeply and looked at Hotaru pleadingly. She pointed Natsume and Youichi said, "Hotaru, why do we have two Natsume's here? One is enough. Are we going to baby-sit him?"

Crossing his legs while sitting next to his sister's best friend, Natsume sighed loudly and said, "Don't point your filthy hands at him, you hag. It wasn't my fault Youichi's father decided to leave him with us. Father must have told his father that we were going here. We have no other choice. If you don't want to take care of him, then you can stay outside."

Youichi nodded his head and said, his face as expressionless as Natsume's, "Natsume's right. Besides, I don't need people to take care of me. I'm 14 years old. I'm not as young as I look."

Mikan looked down dejectedly and said, "Well, I apologize for being rude. I didn't mean to overreact." She sighed then smiled at Youichi and said, "Hello there, Youichi! I'm Mikan Sakura! You can call me Mikan. Let's be friends, okay?"

Youichi approached her and extended his hand, and Mikan thought he was being nice. When she was going take his hand to shake it, he slapped her hand and said coldly, "I don't shake hands, old hag. I was about to kiss your hand, but I forgot, I'm allergic to repulsive-looking people. Your hands look so calloused; it's so unlady-like. Geez, give yourself a spa day, will you?"

Insulted, Mikan pouted childishly and said, "I'm a pianist, they're not calloused! I'm proud to say my hands are very soft, like a baby's bottom even. You sure talk like Natsume, don't you? Hmm. Since Youichi's here already, what should we do tomorrow, Hotaru?"

Hotaru sat beside Natsume and said, "We can go swimming in the morning, and in the afternoon we can go to some tourist spots since I'm sure you haven't really been here before. Since it's late, let's just eat and go to sleep first. We'll need all the rest we could get."

They all agreed and went to the dining table to eat. It was all ready when they entered the room. They immediately ate and went back to their own rooms and went to sleep.

* * *

_"Hey, why are you alone?" a 9-year old girl asked while she approached the boy almost as old as her sitting all alone in the shade of the Sakura tree._

_The boy was sobbing silently before she came. He said, "My mommy, she… she left me. I don't know what t-to do...a-anymore."_

_The girl sat beside the crying boy and comforted him. He stared at her with his hazel eyes; wide, chocolate orbs staring back. The girl smiled and said, "My mommy left me, too. She went to Vienna to play the piano. I still feel lonely, but since I have my friends with me, I'm happy. If you want, I can be your friend. You look familiar, too. You study in the music academy, don't you?"_

_The boy stopped crying, nodded and smiled a bit. It looked like he remembered something and frowned again. He looked away and started crying again. The girl got worried and patted his shoulder and said, "What's wrong?"_

_"I have a little brother. He's just a few months old, and no one's there to take care of him except the maids. My daddy doesn't care about us and mommy. He just cares about his work. I hate him so much." The boy said, glaring at the ground._

_"You shouldn't hate your daddy. He's your daddy, and I'm sure he loves you. He works so that you could live a good life, right? Give your daddy a chance. You know, you're lucky 'cause you met your daddy. My daddy left my mommy when I was still small."_

_Holding his hand, the girl with brunette locks dragged the boy to stand up. She smiled again and said, "Let's dance! When I was with my mommy in Vienna, she told me that if I dance when I'm sad, I can forget the reason why I'm sad. It works! I promise!"_

_The boy blushed and said softly, "I don't know how to da—" He was stopped immediately when the girl started to lead him. They waltzed happily and stared into each other's eyes._

_The smile on the girl's face was bright and true. It made the boy smile back. They laughed as they twirled and waltzed without a tune to follow._

_They thought they could dance with each other forever, but sadly, they couldn't. The little girl's nanny came to pick her up. Before she left, she smiled at him and said, "If ever you're lonely, think about me when you see the Sakura. I'm Mikan Sakura, by the way! I'll see you at the music academy!"_

_The boy once again blushed and said; "I'm Ryo-"_

* * *

**RIIING! WAKE UP YOU STUPID IDIOT! IF YOU DON'T WAKE UP IN FIVE -**

Mikan got up and tried to catch her breath. She was sweating and panting when she woke up. She sat still and said to herself, "Ryo…"

She never noticed that Hotaru was already in front of her until she said, "You had a dream about Ryosuke, didn't you?"

Mikan got surprised but said calmly, "Yeah. I wonder why. It's like he's reminding me that he's my childhood friend. I kept dreaming about the day we first met."

When Hotaru didn't talk, Mikan stared at her. She asked, "What's the matter, Hotaru?"

Hotaru shook her head and said, "I'm just a bit sleepy. I wasn't able to sleep properly last night because of your snoring and laughing. Seriously Mikan, you sound like you were possessed last night. You were laughing like a total freak. It scared the hell out of me. I really thought you were possessed."

Mikan rolled her eyes and laughed. Hotaru can say the weirdest things when she's with her. She took her beach bag and said to Hotaru, "Let's eat breakfast so that we can go to the beach, okay? I wanna swim!"

Seeing Mikan back to her cheerful self, Hotaru smiled and nodded her head. They ate their breakfast silently, with Youichi glaring at Mikan occasionally. They then changed into their swimwear and walked to the beach.

Natsume stared at the pianist intently as she desperately tried to make a decent sand castle. Mikan groaned miserably while looking at her 'sand castle'. Natsume decided to approach her and kick her 'creation'. Mikan gasped, glared at him and said, "Why did you do that for, you meanie! I worked hard to make that castle, but you just had to kick it. What are you, a bully?"

Smirking, Natsume stepped on it more and said, "That was a sand castle? I think you need to have your eyes checked, little girl. And, yes, I am a bully. But, at least I admitted that I was." He then sat beside her and started to make a new sand castle, this time, it started to look like one.

Mikan ogled at his worked and clapped happily. She smiled at him brightly and said, "Wow, Natsume! You're such a great sand castle maker! Ooooh, look! Your gate looks real! I love it!"

He just stared at the girl beside her and laughed a bit. He then continued finishing _their_ sand castle while Mikan continued complimenting his, as what she calls it, masterpiece. Once in a while, Natsume would insult her, but Mikan would just laugh and throw sand at him.

When Youichi saw them, he approached them and sat beside Natsume. He glared at Mikan and said, "You shouldn't be staying near her, Natsume. She might contaminate you with her idiot virus."

Natsume patted the younger boy's head and said, "You're becoming just like me every day, Youichi. Aoi wouldn't want that. You shouldn't make her dislike you if you want to have a chance with her."

Youichi blushed and stopped talking. Mikan stared at him and said, "Eh! Youichi's blushing! Why is he blushing like that, Natsume?"

"He doesn't want to admit that he fancies my sister. Cute kid." Natsume said while finishing the castle.

Mikan gawked at him and said, "Wow. Who knew 'cute' existed in your vocabulary?"

Natsume rolled his eyes and said, "I may be a cold guy, but it doesn't mean I'm not human, you idiot. If you continue to insult me, I'll kick this castle."

"Geez. Fine! I'll stop! Gosh, Natsume, you're just like Ruka-pyon. You love to threaten people, don't you? Is that what powerful people do as their hobby nowadays?"

When Natsume glared at her, she stopped and just stared at the now finished castle in awe. Youichi stood up and said to Mikan, "Follow me, hag."

"I'm not a hag!" Mikan said before following the young boy. They went near the water and stood there for a while. Mikan didn't like it when it's silent, so she said, "Why'd you ask me to come with you, Youichi?"

Youichi didn't face her. He stared at the sun and said, "You like Natsume, don't you?"

Mikan laughed. Youichi must be troubled about a love problem. She smiled at his back and said jokingly, "Hmm, I guess you can say that. I like everyone. I like Howalons. I like music. I like Hotaru. I even like you, Youichi."

The boy clenched his fists and said, "Not that way! What I mean is, do you like Natsume? As in _like_ like."

She continued to play naïve and smiled at him. "Of course I do. I like everyone, remember? Why the question, Youichi?"

He then looked at her, a tint of red visible in his cheeks. He was glaring at her and said, "Have you ever liked anyone? Ugh. I forgot, you like _everyone_. Let me rephrase my question. Have you ever _loved_ anyone?"

"Yes. I did love someone before. I loved him so much. But, I guess it wasn't meant to be. Look at him now. He's happy with my best friend." Mikan said, a smile never leaving her face.

Youichi stared at her and said, "You were in-love with Ruka?"

Mikan nodded her head and said, "Yes. I loved him so much. He used to love me, too. Well, enough about that. Why'd you ask, Youichi? Don't tell me, you like me?"

Youichi made a disgusted look and said, "Never in a million years! I just wanted to know if what I feel now is what you felt as well. How will you know if you're in-love?"

"Hmm. Well, when you see that person, you feel light-headed, as if you're drunk. And, your heart starts to beat madly, and you see nothing but that person. When you talk to each other, you seem to remember everything perfectly after. When your hands touch, it's as if electricity rushes through your hands. You can't stop thinking about them. You feel happy no matter what you do when you're with that person. And, you'll realize that you just care about that person too much." Mikan said, approaching Youichi.

She tapped his shoulder and said, "You should tell Natsume's sister that you like her before it's too late. She's Natsume's sister, so I'm sure she's a very pretty girl. She is, isn't she? Tell me more about her, Youichi."

It seemed like his eyes glistened when she mentioned 'Natsume's sister'. He said, "She is pretty, more than pretty even. She has red eyes, like Natsume, and has long, black, silky hair reaching her back. She has a soft voice, and when she talks, she never says anything bad about anyone. She's very gentle and kind. And, she's very hyper. She cares a lot about Natsume and she loves their dog, Koro. When she smiles, you can see all her teeth, literally. There's always a grin plastered on her face. I used to find it annoying, but I guess I pretty much got used to it."

"Wow, you know a lot about her. You must really like her, don't you? I know the feeling. You know, I still like Ruka. I don't like him as much as when we were together, but, I still like him." Mikan said, looking at Ruka while he was playing beach volleyball with Hotaru.

Youichi also stared at the couple and said, "That's unavoidable. But, you have Natsume now, don't you, Mikan?"

Mikan smiled and said, "I guess you're right. Wait... You called me Mikan! Finally, you didn't call me hag! Yey!"

"I didn't call you that." Youichi said before walking back to Natsume. Mikan knew that Youichi was just embarrassed so she grinned while following him. She liked it that Youichi opened up to her and that he's slowly accepting her.

Mikan and Natsume then stayed under their umbrella. Because of boredom, Mikan fell asleep on the beach mat. When Natsume realized that his company fell asleep, he stared at her, once again astonished at her sleeping face. She looked so serene.

When Ruka said that they were gonna go back to his house, Natsume decided not to wake her up and carried her bridal style. Ruka was worried that something happened to Mikan, so Natsume said, "She just fell asleep, don't worry. I didn't wake her up because she's too hard to wake up. I'm sure you know that, Imai."

Hotaru just nodded her head and continued eating her crab while walking to the summer house. They then had lunch and had an afternoon siesta before walking around in the city.

End of chapter.

* * *

Thank you for reading! :)

R & R?


	7. Chapter 7

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Disclaimer:**All the publicly recognizable characters are the property of Higuchi Tachibana. I am in no way associated with the said author of the copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Enjoy, lovely people! :)**

* * *

Chapter 7

The day after Youichi arrived at Ruka's summer house, they all decided to go back. They went straight to Natsume's place to drop him and Youichi off. Before Youichi left the car, Mikan smiled at him. The young boy blushed, looked away and said, "You better come visit us soon. I'll introduce you to Aoi."

"Oi oi, Youichi. Don't tell me you've told this idiot first before telling me? I feel betrayed." Natsume said, giving Youichi a look of mock pain.

The boy shook his head so much and ran to the Hyuuga Manor's door. Mikan chuckled and said, "Geez, Natsume. You shouldn't be like that to Youichi. The kid adores you so much, and all you do is bully him. What kind of senior are you?"

"A good-looking one." He admitted arrogantly.

Hotaru didn't like to wait, so she glared at him and said, "Would you stop bragging about your excuse-of-a-face and get lost already, Hyuuga? We still have to bring this other idiot to her house. It's not exactly near, you know. Mikan and I will see you tomorrow in your hall. Goodbye and close the door."

Agitating an already agitated Hotaru wasn't such a good idea, so Natsume nodded his head at them as a sign of goodbye and closed the door. Mikan asked Hotaru, "Why would we meet him tomorrow, Hotaru?"

"Well, Hyuuga and I talked, and as your manager, I really do believe a comeback concert would do you well, so we planned on having a concert at his concert hall, seeing as it's one of the best in Japan. And, it seems like the people found out that you were here when you performed in the Hyatt. It will be a great opportunity for you to perform for your Japanese fans. You want that, right?" Hotaru explained while writing something in her organizer.

Ruka nodded in agreement and said, "When you were having your world tour, Hotaru told me that you missed Japan so much and that you wanted to do that. You should do it, Mikan. It might be your only chance."

"But, I never knew I would be performing so soon, Ruka. I want to give my best to the Japanese people." she sighed. "It's the least I can do. I guess I have no choice but to start practicing."

"That's good to hear. We'll be getting a lot from this project, so you better make this a sold-out concert. You'll be having a pretty busy month, because we'll be guesting in shows to plug your concert, okay? The concert will be in about two months." Hotaru said, and smiled a bit to Mikan.

Mikan felt better when she saw Hotaru's rare smile. She grinned and said, "I'll try my best! So that you can help me with the scheduling, it's better if you would sleep in my house. You can borrow my jammies first."

"Okay then. Your clothes are quite comfortable to sleep in. Ruka, drive faster. I wanna eat Yuki's lobster again. She cooks it better than anyone else." Hotaru demanded as her beau nodded immediately. Soon, they finally arrived.

Before leaving Ruka's car, Mikan bowed thankfully and said, "Thanks for driving us here, Ruka! See you soon!"

Ruka nodded his head and gave Hotaru a quick peck on the cheek before driving home. Hotaru immediately went to Mikan's room and placed her suitcase near Mikan's closet.

"I'm sorry for making you do this, but it's for your sake, Mikan." Hotaru said while lying down in Mikan's bed when Mikan entered the room.

Mikan nodded her head and sat beside Hotaru. She said, "I know, Hotaru. But, I think I'm just not ready to do this. It's only been five months since mom passed away, and I still feel like I haven't fully recovered from the accident two years ago. Playing the piano has been painful for me ever since."

Shaking her head in disagreement, Hotaru said, "You played the piano pretty well when we were in the Hyatt, right? And you even felt good when you did. Your mother would be proud of you wherever she is now. She would be utterly disappointed if she found out that her only daughter quit playing the instrument she used to play."

Hotaru was right. She played the piano lovingly in the Hyatt and felt better. She said, "You're right. I'll play for mom's sake. She would definitely scold me if she were still here. Let's talk about the schedule tomorrow with Natsume. He owns the concert hall I'm going to play in, right? How many people can occupy it?"

"About 6,000 to 7,000 people, I think. Hmmm. You've been pretty cosy with him lately. I see sparks here." Hotaru said, playing with Mikan's laptop.

The brunette giggled softly and said, "It's not what you think. I just want to understand that guy. He's so mysterious and weird; I just can't help but try to know him. Natsume's a intimidating at first, but he's not so bad. You know, I'm glad that you and Ruka set us up. I appreciate it."

Her best friend gave her one of her rare smiles once more and said, "It's our pleasure, but, Mikan? Please be cautious of what you're doing. People are watching. You don't want to happen what happened to your mother, right?"

Mikan nodded. Yuki entered their room and said, "Miss Mikan, Miss Hotaru, dinner is ready."

The two went down and ate their dinner. Hotaru ate her favorite lobster while Yuki smiled at them, sitting in front of them. When Hotaru noticed that Yuki was staring at her, she said, "The lobster's delicious, Yuki. By the way, Mikan will be performing 3 months from now. So, please take care of us."

Yuki nodded her head slowly and said, "I've been taking care of Miss Mikan since she was five. It'd be my pleasure. Lady Azumi would've been so proud of her. Where will she perform, Miss Hotaru?"

"In the Hyuuga Concert Hall in Shibuya. We'll be meeting Hyuuga tomorrow at about 8 am for the concert planning and the schedule for her guestings. Please do wake us at about 6 am." Hotaru said while wiping her mouth.

After eating, they brushed their teeth, changed their clothes and went to sleep. While sleeping, Mikan hugged Hotaru unconsciously, and Hotaru hugged her back.

* * *

"Wow, Mikan, you actually woke up early. You woke up even before Yuki came to our room. Why?" Hotaru asked while she was brushing her hair. It was already 7:30 am, and they were preparing themselves.

Hotaru looked at Mikan and said, "You should wear something more formal. Surely, reporters would be there to ask questions about your upcoming concert. You should look good in newspapers and the TV if you want this to be a big hit."

Mikan removed her outfit and rummaged through her closet for a decent dress to wear. She took her black, cotton tie shoulder cover up dress. She looked at Hotaru and asked, "Can I wear this?"

Hotaru examined it and nodded her head slowly. Mikan immediately went to her dressing room and wore the dress. When Mikan came out of the room, Hotaru handed her leather, punch out tassel sandals. She said, "This would look good with your dress, Mikan."

Mikan wore it and they immediately went to her car to leave. Yuki bid them farewell, and they drove to the hall.

The Hall was jammed with a lot of reporters, photographers and camera men, hoping to have a big time shot. Mikan's car was immediately surrounded by nosy reporters. Guards actually had to escort them to get out of the car.

Natsume was waiting for them near the glass door and nodded his head when Mikan smiled. The two girls entered the hall and they entered the special conference room. Hotaru said, "I never knew there would be a press conference today. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried to call you and the idiot, but there's something wrong with the signal here. But, since we're here now, let's go to the conference room first. My people and your… uh_… you_.. will be talking." Natsume said.

They went to the room and discussed about the planned concert. Mikan kept staring at Natsume while he was presenting his presentation. His light skin glowed in the dark and his crimson eyes sparkled when the light reached his face when he moved.

When the presentation ended, Natsume said formally, "Miss Sakura, do you have any objections or violent reactions on the project?"

They all waited for her answer. She just stared at him, blank-faced. When she finally realized that the people were looking at her, she said, "Huh- wah? Can you please repeat the question?"

Disappointed, Natsume lightly shook his head and said, "I was asking if you had any objections or violent reactions on the content of my presentation, but it seems like you weren't listening at all, Miss Sakura."

"I'm sorry, Natsume. I was a bit dazed when you asked me the question, but I listened to you when you were presenting your offer. I thought about this a while ago. It'd be better if we could attract not only the adults, but the teens and the pre-teens, as well. If we go to schools and invite them, there's a chance that the age range of the viewers would drastically change. I'd be willing to play a piece or two if we visit schools. The administration in the schools would like it. A classical concert is educational, right?" Mikan said while browsing through the printed presentation.

The board whispered to each other while thinking about Mikan's idea. She was right. Natsume was impressed. He said, "You're right. I've never considered that thought. Okay. So, Ninomiya, please contact the schools in Tokyo and tell them about our plan. We need to schedule Miss Sakura's school visits and TV appearances as soon as possible. Shuji, you may now guide the press people to the press lounge. Sakura, Imai, we'll be proceeding to the press lounge now."

Natsume stood up and went immediately to the press lounge, with Mikan and Hotaru behind him. While going to the lounge, he said to Mikan, "Who knew that brain of yours actually worked, Sakura?"

Mikan puffed her cheeks and said, "Stop underestimating me, Natsume! Didn't you know that there's a big chance that a person's IQ improves if they play the piano?"

"Tsk. I wonder what happened to you." Hotaru said. The two-Natsume and Hotaru-stifled a laugh. They couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing. Mikan glared at them and pouted. She didn't like it when the two bullied her.

When they reached the press lounge, the press was already there. Mikan went to the stage and sat in between Natsume and Hotaru. She smiled at them before turning on the mic. Hotaru pointed a newscaster, signalling him to start the questioning.

"Good morning, Miss Mikan Sakura. I'm Hiro Hanata from TBN news. Your upcoming concert here will be your first in Japan. Why did you decide to play here? You have been playing in different countries like Italy, Germany, Austria, America, Indonesia, Philippines and Korea since you were 19. The people want to know the reason behind your decision in finally having a concert here." Hiro, one of the most famous reporters in Japan, asked.

Mikan smiled and said, "To be quite honest with you, I came back to rest and to have a short vacation. But, when I had an impromptu performance at the Hyatt a few weeks ago, people have been telling me that it would be a great opportunity to play for the Japanese people. So, I took the chance and here I am today."

Hiro nodded and then asked, "There were rumors that you stopped performing after your 2008 concert in Korea. So, if that's true, it's been two years since you last performed for a crowd. Is it true that you stopped? And if it is, why?"

The air in the room suddenly became hotter. Mikan remained composed and said, "Yes, it's true that my concert in Korea was my last. Unfortunately, I got into this accident during my stay there, and the doctor advised that it would be better if I didn't play for a while. If I did, there's a big chance that I would lose my ability to play and use my left hand properly."

It was the next reporter's turn. Misa Kawamoto smiled at Mikan and said, "Miwa Kawamoto for NGK. You lived in Vienna for 14 years, right, Miss Sakura?" she waited for Mikan's assurance before she continued. "Our sources have told us that you were arranged on a marriage with Ryosuke Nakajima, the son of two world renowned musicians. What is your relationship with Mr. Nakajima?"

Mikan couldn't help but giggle. Out of all the people that could be paired with her, they chose Ryosuke. She said, "Ryosuke's my childhood friend. I met him when I was five. Since my mother is also an international pianist, she knew a lot of people and two of them were Ryosuke's mother and father, the late violinist, Miharu Nakajima, and the pianist, Ryunosuke Nakajima. I met him here in Japan because we studied in the same music school. When they moved to Vienna, his family coincidently became our neighbor. And, since we were still kids back then, we visited each other and were playmates. I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but Ryosuke and I are just close friends. We're not getting married or anything."

After a few more questions, Natsume stood up and said, "Sakura-san will now be announcing the schedule for her concerts. The question and answer portion is finished."

Natsume looked at Mikan and signalled her to announce the date. She said to the camera, "Hello there, everyone! I am Mikan Sakura and I would like to invite you to my winter concert this December in the Hyuuga Concert Hall in Shibuya. This would be my first time to perform here in Japan, so I hope that you will support me! I will be going to the schools in Tokyo this February to invite students to watch. You can buy tickets in the Hyuuga Concert Hall and in their official website seen on the screen. Please do support me!"

The press left and only the three were in the lounge. Hotaru went ahead to get their car, so Natsume and Mikan were left. Natsume stood still in the middle and was looking outside the window. Mikan felt uneasy because of the silence, so she asked, "Is something wro-"

"Your childhood friend… Ryosuke… How is he?"

End of Chapter.

* * *

How was it? :) Care to tell me in your review?

Hohoho. Christmas is coming soon! What do you guys want for Christmas?


	8. Chapter 8

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Disclaimer:**All the publicly recognizable characters are the property of Higuchi Tachibana. I am in no way associated with the said author of the copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Enjoy, lovely people! :)

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Mikan laid on her bed and looked at her phone. A stolen shot of a screaming Natsume was her wallpaper. She laughed for a bit then stared at his picture again. How could this guy know her childhood friend?

_"Your childhood friend… Ryosuke… How is he?" Natsume asked while looking at the view in the window._

_"He's okay, I guess. I haven't seen him or his dad for a while now. Why'd you ask, Natsume? Do you know him?" Mikan asked. She was curious. Why would Natsume ask her if he didn't know him?_

_Natsume looked at her intently and said, "I just wanted to ask. Was that wrong?"_

_Mikan shook her head and said, "No, it's not. I just thought you knew him since you looked like you do. Is there something that's bothering you, Natsume? You can tell me."_

_He shook his head and said, his tone surprisingly cold and distant, "It's nothing. I knew someone with the same name, but I doubt you'd be friends with the guy I know."_

_"Hmmm. Have you been to Vienna before?" Mikan asked_

_Feeling insulted, he glared at her and said, "Of course. I've been there a lot. If you've forgotten, my dad's a big person in the music industry, Mikan."_

_Her heart skipped a beat. When he called her 'Mikan', he was staring directly at her, causing them to have eye contact. She felt like she just got electrocuted. She blushed a bit and looked away. She pouted and said, "Well, I was just asking! You don't have to be mean, Natsume! Anyway, do we have anything to do tomorrow?"_

_Mikan then looked at Natsume as if she suddenly had an idea. She grinned and said, "You know what? Why don't we go to the zoo or anywhere you want tomorrow? Since I'm your client now, I guess it'd be good if we get to know each other more. Hotaru and Ruka would be delighted if they found out that we're trying this out."_

_Natsume stared at her and sighed. He said, "I guess I have no other choice. You've got my attention for the whole day tomorrow, polka-dots. But, we need to wear a disguise. People might see us and take pictures then spread it on the internet saying that I got you pregnant and we're gonna get married this July in Las Vegas."_

_Shocked by his reply, Mikan said, "Wow, Natsume. Who knew you were this imaginative? I mean seriously, getting me pregnant and getting married this July in Las Vegas? Are you crazy? Anyways, I'll be wearing my casual clothes tomorrow, don't worry. Just pick me up tomorrow at 10 am, okay? Thanks!"_

Something was wrong. She couldn't point out what, but something was indeed wrong. She thought really hard but nothing makes sense. She said to herself, "If Natsume's been to Vienna before when he was young, there was a 95% chance that we'd meet but, we didn't. _Okay._ I'm talking to myself again. Oh well. I might as well go to sleep. I need to fix myself tomorrow. It's the first time I had a date-date since Ruka and I broke up."

* * *

"Yuki, Have you seen my purple tank top? I'm gonna wear it today." Mikan screamed while rummaging messily through her dressing room. Yuki immediately came and opened a drawer. She took the said outfit and gave it to Mikan. She said, "Where are you going, Miss Mikan?"

Mikan said while changing, "I'm going out with Natsume today. You don't need to prepare lunch for me today. I'll be out the whole day."

Yuki looked at her attire. She was wearing her v-neck tank, her white denim pants and her sneakers. She said, "Don't you think you're outfits too thin? It's quite cold today, Miss Mikan. Fall is coming."

The girl shook her head and smiled, "I'm used to the cold, Yuki. It's always cold in Austria and Korea. I already got used to it."

After a while, Mikan went out of her house and saw Natsume's car in front of her door. He went out, wearing new, unfamiliar aviator sunglasses. He was wearing a faded red _'Ohio State'_ hoodie and black denim pants. He also wore a baseball cap. He removed his aviator sun glasses and looked at her from top to bottom. He shook his head and said, "You look like you want the people to know that you're Mikan Sakura. And, don't you know that the temperature's 12 degrees right now?"

He took something from his car and said, "It's a good thing that I have an extra hoodie and cap here. Wear it."

Mikan took it and wore it. She hugged herself and said, "This feels cozy. And, it smells so good. What perfume are you using, Natsume?"

He ignored her and took something again from his car. He showed her the sunglasses she saw him wearing before. He held her face and placed the sunglasses on her. He fixed her hair a bit and said, "I don't let a lot of people wear that. Be thankful I let you put it on, girlie."

Mikan thanked him and then they rode the car. They then reached the zoo. When they entered the zoo, Mikan looked at Natsume then looked at herself. She giggled and said, "Look, Natsume! We're a match!"

Natsume rolled his eyes and replied, "Yeah right. I look _way_ better than you, polka-dots."

Glaring at him, Mikan mumbled, "Stupid, arrogant, narcissistic, aviator sun glasses guy. And, I'M NOT WEARING POLKA-DOTS TODAY!"

He just smirked and said, "Okay, then… Berry Lollipop panty girl."

Eyes growing wider by the second, and her nose flaring with it, she screamed and said, "You are such a pervert! How the heck did you know that? You looked at my butt when I picked something up, do you? Do you?"

"Chill, woman. Let's just say that 'my eyes are as sharp as a cat's'." Natsume said while adjusting his cap.

Mikan froze and covered her torso defensively. She stuttered, "D-don't t-tell me y-y-you h-have X-Ray vision?"

Natsume prevented himself from laughing and said, "Seriously, Mikan, where did you get your imagination from? A comic book? I don't have X-ray vision. It's just that you were wearing such a short shirt a while ago. If you don't want to show me your childish undergarments, wear something less revealing, will you? I force my already-eaten-yet-trying-to-go-outta-my-stomach breakfast back to my stomach every time I see your repulsive undies."

She shrugged it off and said, "Admit it, Natsume, you just want to check me out. You like it, don't you?"

Rolling his eyes, he said sarcastically, "_Sure_. I love 'em. Especially your _cute _little undies. Ha! Gimme a break."

Mikan stuck her tongue out and said, "You'll give in soon, Nat. Just you wait! Let's go to the animals already! Micchi wants to see some action!"

Natsume stared at her and said, "Micchi? Eew. It sounds like a pornstar's name. You wanna see some _real_ action? Go to my bedroom tonight. We'll see some action."

Covering her body defensively once again, she said, "What the heck? We're not even married and you already want some action? Ew!"

"I'm not talking about sex, you idiot. I have a lot of action movies at home, and there's a big, flat screen TV in my room. I'm not interested in your puny body, _Micchi_. I prefer girls with a coca-cola body and girls _with_ boobs." Natsume said. He then held her hand and said, "Let's get this over with."

They walked around the zoo, hands intertwined. The people who saw them thought they were foreign celebrities. They released an aura that made the people stare at them. Mikan was laughing while Natsume just smirked.

They never admitted it, but they liked it when they were holding hands. Mikan's hand was a bit cold, so Natsume squeezed it and placed their hands in his hoodie pocket. He said, "Your hands are cold. Let's keep it here 'til it's warm again."

Mikan nodded shyly, a blush evident in her face, and said, "Okay. Thank you. Let's eat lunch. I'm starving!"

They went to Mc Donald's and ate quietly. The people were still staring at them. A few teenagers decided to approach them and one girl asked, "Excuse me, but are you celebrities from Korea or something?"

Mikan and Natsume stared at each other and they both laughed. Natsume removed his sun glasses and said, "No, we're just ordinary Japanese citizens. We're not celebrities. Do we look like we are?"

They squealed when they saw Natsume's full face. He was breath-taking. They all nodded their head and said, "Yes, you both do. You're both so good-looking, mister!"

Mikan smiled at them and also removed her sun glasses. They envied her glowing skin and beautiful, long lashes. She said, "Thank you. But, we're not celebrities. We're just your typical couple going out on a date, ne, Nat?"

Natsume just nodded his head and continued eating. They looked at Mikan more and one gasped. He said, "Aren't you Mikan Sakura, the famous pianist?"

Mikan smiled and sushed them. She said, "This is our secret, okay? I won't be able to be with my business partner over here if the people find out. We're discussing about my concert."

They all nodded their head and sushed each other. They smiled at Mikan and bid her farewell. She heard some of them saying, "Wow that was actually Mikan Sakura. She's so beautiful. And her business partner was so hot as well! But, they don't look as if they're just business partners."

Natsume glared at Mikan and said, "Why did you tell them you were Mikan? What if the other people heard you?"

"Relax, Natsume. You should learn how to trust people more. Those kids do not have bad intentions. They just wanted to know the truth. If you lie to them, they'd get angry and do the things you don't want them to do. It's better that way." Mikan said while still eating.

Natsume stared at her and stopped. She was right. He smirked and said, "Where do you get those smart words from, Sakura? I thought all your thoughts came from a kid's coloring book. I'm impressed."

Mikan hmphed and said, "I'll just take that as a compliment. Anyway, let's go ride the bike over there, Natsume! It looks fun!"

The good-looking 'date' of Mikan looked at the bikes and said, "Hell no. A guy like me doesn't ride mountain bikes. I only ride on luxurious cars."

"Natsume, stop being such a baby! We'll only be riding it once! Please! Pretty, pretty please!" Mikan said while gripping on Natsume's hand, squealing while jumping up and down, pointing the bikes.

He held her head to stop her and said, "You're such a persistent, high-pitched pig, little girl. I guess I have no other choice do I?" and Mikan shook her head, smiling.

They went to the bike stand and Natsume said to the person in the stand, "We'll be renting two mountain bikes. Give me the best bikes you've got. I'm willing to pay more if needed."

The one in charge of the bike rentals was a girl. She was amazed at Natsume's deep voice, light skin, and mesmerizing, red eyes. She blushed and said, "No need, sir. We'll give you the best bikes available. Uhm, not that I'm meddling or anything, but, are you celebrities?"

Natsume shook his head and said, "Well? Where are our bikes?"

The girl apologized and immediately took the best bikes-a shiny, black mountain bike, and a pink one with a basket. They took it and Mikan said, "Stop being bossy, aviator. We're not in your office right now. And stop using money to get what you want."

Natsume flipped his hair and said, "I don't need to use my money. I can always use my face, body and eyes. It works all the time." Then he rode the bike and left Mikan. Mikan immediately followed him and they had a lot of fun, biking beside each other.

The time came when the sun was already setting. Mikan and Natsume returned their bikes, now walking back to the parking lot. Mikan said while looking at the sunset, "This was a great day, wasn't it, Natsume? I had a blast. Thanks a lot for coming with me today."

Natsume didn't speak. He just nodded his head and also looked at the sunset, smiling peacefully. Mikan knew Natsume had fun. It was obvious in his face, though he tried to cover it by insulting her. The moon was finally visible and their date ended. It was a day to be remembered and cherished. It's a good thing Hotaru and Ruka were following them the whole day to take pictures of them.

* * *

:)


	9. Chapter 9

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Disclaimer:**All the publicly recognizable characters are the property of Higuchi Tachibana. I am in no way associated with the said author of the copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Enjoy, lovely people! :)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

After the 'date', Mikan and Natsume were both busy because they had to promote Mikan's concert. The Rising Star Orchestra heard that Mikan Sakura will be having a concert and requested to guest in it. They will be having a piano concerto in her show, and she will be playing with them.

Mikan was about to go to the Hyuuga Concert Hall when her phone started to ring.

_Ima makesou de nakisou de~ Kieteshimai-_

She looked at her phone and saw that Natsume was calling. She answered it and said, "What is it, Natsume-kun? Am I late already? I'm about to go there already."

_"There's no need to go here today. You can have your day off. The Rising Star can't come here today since Chiaki-san, their conductor, got ill." _Natsume replied.

Mikan frowned. "Oh. Okay. Thanks for telling me. But I can't do anything here! I'm so bored. What would I do to keep me busy?"

Rolling his eyes while listening to her, he said,_ "I don't. Go shopping, I guess. Look, polka, I'm busy today since we'll be printing posters and tickets for your concert. We received a lot of reservations for tickets and I had to talk to all of them. I'll see you later if I still have the time. Bye."_

He hang up and Mikan went back to her room. She felt a little happy because she felt that Natsume was slowly opening up to her. She felt likewise. She decided to call Anna and Nonoko. She dialled Anna's number and when Anna answered, she said, "Anna-chan, can you and Nonoko-chan go with me to the mall today? It's my day off today and I was hoping that you would come with me." They immediately said yes and said that they'd meet each other in their favorite mall's parking lot in Ginza.

She saw Anna's car and waved at them. They hugged each other and Nonoko said, "How are you, Mikan? It's been a while since we shopped together, ne? Why did you have a day-off though? I thought your sched's fully booked?"

Mikan smiled crookedly. "I was supposed to practice with the Rising Star Orchestra today, but their conductor's sick, so I'm free today. Let's shop!"

They immediately went inside Topshop, Mikan's favorite store. Anna saw Mikan's somehow rosier cheeks and approached her. She poked her cheeks and said, "Mikan, you seem to be… blooming? Did something happen with you and prince charming?"

Mikan giggled. "Nothing much. We're just closer. And, we had a date a few days ago."

Hearing what Mikan said, Anna gasped. "What?! Wow, Mikan. Natsume never _dates_. He just 'goes out'. Are you sure it was a date?"

While looking at an outfit she liked, she nodded her head. "Yeah, it was a date. Well, he didn't argue when I told him that it was a date."

Nonoko approached the two when she heard that Mikan and Natsume had a date. Natsume Hyuuga never 'dated' any girls at ALL! He just goes out with them or something like that. But, he never considered any of them as a date-date.

The two followed Mikan to the dressing room and said while Mikan was trying on an outfit; "How did it go, Mikan? Was he sweet? Did you kiss?"

Mikan laughed. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we didn't kiss. Well, it was a surprise, but we.. we.. We sorta held hands. And, he let me use his favorite sunglasses."

Nonoko and Anna stared at each other. They never expected that Natsume and Mikan would actually HOLD hands. Anna said, "He let you use his _favorite_ sunglasses? And, you held hands? Were his hands as hot as he was? Mikan, how and why did you hold hands?"

"It was cold. And yes, his hands were as hot.. as he was? He must've thought that my hands were cold so he held it and put both our hands in his pocket to make it hot. Who knew that a person like him would actually care?" Mikan said while going out of the dressing room, holding the outfits in her hand.

The sales clerk approached her and said, "Are you going to buy that, miss?"

Mikan nodded her head and gave it to the clerk. They followed the clerk and Mikan took her credit card out to pay for the outfit. She took the paper bags with the outfits and moved to the next store, Urban Outfitters.

They shopped and shopped and shopped some more. After going to Urban Outfitters, they went to Cotton On, American Apparel, H & M and Mango. They were about to go to Forever21 when she saw Natsume standing there at the door of the store, still wearing his infamous sunglasses.

The brunette looked at Anna and Nonoko and said, "Natsume's here, you guys. I'll just say hi to him." She then approached Natsume and smiled. Natsume smirked at her, but Anna and Nonoko thought that he smiled. They looked like a real couple from afar.

Mikan said to Natsume, "I thought you were busy, Natsume-kun? How did the printing session go?"

"It was fine, I guess. But, the people were so fucked up in the printing press. If I weren't there to watch out, it would've been a mess." Natsume replied.

Anna and Nonoko approached them and said hi to Natsume. He nodded to them and asked, "Have you eatten yet?"

They shook their heads and Natsume said, "Good. I'm starving. Let's eat. My treat."

They went to a fancy Italian restaurant and ordered their specialty. Anna and Nonoko stayed quiet while Mikan and Natsume were chatting with each other lightly. Anna stared at Natsume and whispered to Nonoko, "Doesn't he look a bit… nicer? He used to be all cocky and airy but he seemed kinder today. Especially to Mikan. Well, they still insult each other and everything, but look at the way they stare at each other. I can feel the extreme chemistry."

Nonoko nodded and said, "You're right, Anna-chan. Seeing the way he looks at her, it's obvious that he's interested. Poor little girl over here is just oblivious to the fact that he's starting to develop feelings for her and so is she."

Mikan noticed that the two were talking and she asked, "What are you guys talking about?"

The two got startled. Anna laughed nervously. "Oh. Uh, nothing special. We're just talking about, uh.. you know.. The newest drama we're into. We were just arguing about that."

Mikan nodded slowly and asked, tilting her head innocently, "What's it about?"

The two looked at each other nervously and Nonoko replied, "Uh, the lead girl is a.. uh.. an artist! Yeah. An artist. She's really beautiful and pure and innocent, but she had a mysterious past. She then meets this.. uh.. this rich hot guy, who's not really into girls and dating. You can say that he's anti-social. There were rumors spreading that this guy was gay, and people were starting to believe it. But, as time passed, they became closer to each other and now, the guy has obviously developed feelings for the girl, proving that the guy is definitely _not _gay. But, since the girl's too innocent, she has no idea that the guy feels that way and that she feels the same way, too. It's really interesting and sweet. It's full of twists."

Natsume stared at them. "Is it a new drama here in Japan? Ruka would've blabbered on and on about it if it were new or something."

Nonoko immediately replied, "No. It's just a drama from.. from.. from Taiwan! Yeah. It's not really new, I think. But, we really like it. We watch it through the internet."

Mikan smiled. "Ooh! I don't surf the net a lot, but if I have the time, can you send me the link of the drama so that I can watch it?"

They nodded their head furiously and ate the food immediately when it came. Natsume and Mikan stared at them and ate as well. Mikan said, "Natsume, you should be more like this! You're really nice today. It's cute. Don't you think so, Anna? Nonoko?"

They nodded their head. Natsume glared at Mikan and said; "Has no one told you not to call men 'cute'? It bruises our ego. Butterflies and rainbows are cute. Do I look like a butterfly? Definitely not. Well, at least I'm not a cow like you."

"Awww. Widdle (Natsume-kun's shy. It's okay to be cute, you know. AND, I AM NOT A COW!" Mikan said while pinching his cheek.

The guy slapped her hand away and massaged his cheeks while glaring at her more. His phone rang and said to the girls, "Excuse me for a second while I entertain this call."

He stood up and went outside. Ruka called. He answered it and said; "What is it, Ruka?"

_"Hotaru asked if you and Mikan-chan would want to go with us for dinner. Are you free?" _Ruka said.

"Sure. I'll tell little girl. What time and where?" Natsume asked while looking at his watch. It was only 4 pm.

_Ruka was quiet for a while and said; "You're with Mikan-chan today?__Tell her we have a surprise for her. She'll be ecstatic! Anyways, we'll be eating at Koju at 7pm. See ya."_

He hangs up and Natsume went back inside. He sat beside Mikan and said; "Ruka and Imai asked us to go with them to dinner later. We'll be going to Koju. I'll call your driver to get your car later. We can go together. And, they told me they have a surprise for you. They said it'll make you squeal like the pig you really are."

Mikan nodded her head while eating her pizza, ignoring his insult. After eating, Anna and Nonoko thanked Natsume and went ahead. So, Mikan and Natsume were left alone. Natsume noticed Mikan's shopping bags and took them all, helping her. "For a thin girl, you sure can carry a lot, polka. Wow, who knew pigs could have skinny arms?"

She grinned at him and said, "I am not a pig, you.. you.. you _monkey_! I may be thin, but I'm strong. I need to have strong hands to shop and play the piano, you know."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Natsume said. They just walked around the mall to make the time pass. The people looked at them and was amazed that innocent little Mikan Sakura was with the bad-boy looking, rich guy Natsume Hyuuga. They looked good together though.

Natsume looked at his watch and cursed. "Shoot. It's 6:15pm already. We need to go, idiot. Stop shopping already and let's get out of here. You don't want Imai to shoot you again, right?"

Mikan dropped her shopping bags and shivered. Thinking about Hotaru like that makes her feel petrified. She held Natsume's hand, her bags, and said, "What are you waiting for? Where's your car? There? Okay! Let's go!"

Not waiting for Natsume's reply, she dragged him to the place where his car was parked.

"Woah, polka-dots. Slow down. You're breaking my hands." Natsume said while stopping Mikan. She was flustered. She goes crazy every time Hotaru and her bloodcurdling inventions were involved.

They immediately entered the car and hurried off to Koju. When they arrived, the couple who invited them weren't there yet. They decided to sit down and Mikan glared at him. "We just _had_ to come here early. It's so boring here and I'm hungry already! This is your fault, Natsume-kun!"

"My fault? Are you getting more stupid than you already are? You dragged me towards my car to go here and now you're blaming me? You've gotta be kidding me." Natsume said, glaring at the girl in front of him.

Mikan pouted childishly and said, "Fine. I'm sorry. It was my fault. I just can't help but feel nervous. When Hotaru has surprises for me, believe me, they're really _big_ surprises."

"Duh. It's Imai we're talking about."

After a while, Ruka entered the restaurant, a goofy smile visible. He grinned at Mikan and said, "Mikan-chan, you'd be so surprised on what we have for you."

She looked confused. "It's not my birthday. What's this for?"

Ruka ignored her questions and called Hotaru, telling her to come in with their 'surprise'. When Hotaru entered with the 'surprise', Mikan's eyes grew with happiness and she was indeed surprised with what she saw.

"It's been a while, Mikan."

* * *

**END of CHAPTER**

BTW, _Koju_ is a three-star Michelin, traditional Japanese restaurant in Ginza.


	10. Chapter 10

Meet Mr. Perfect

By Miharu Endou

* * *

**Disclaimer:**All the publicly recognizable characters are the property of Higuchi Tachibana. I am in no way associated with the said author of the copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Enjoy, lovely people! :)

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**

"It's been a while, Mikan."

"Tsubasa!" Mikan screamed while running towards the tall man beside Hotaru. She hugged him tightly, tears forming in her eyes.

Tsubasa patted Mikan's back and said, "I missed you, too, Mikan-chan. So, lemme see your face!"

Mikan giggled and let go of him. She wiped her tears and smiled brightly. Tsubasa looked at her from top to bottom and whistled slyly then pinched her cheeks. "Wow, Mikan. I only went away for 3 years and you turned into _that_. Tsk. I might fall for you."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up, Andou. I'm hungry. You can flirt with each other later when we're done eating."

They laughed at her and sat down their table, finally remembering that Natsume was with them. They immediately ordered their food. Natsume had an irked expression on his face while playing with his iPhone. Mikan ignored it and said, "Natsume-kun, this is my senpai, Andou Tsubasa! He's my childhood friend and he's 27 years old. He's a business man, just like you."

Natsume glanced at him and continued playing with his iPhone. Mikan stuck out her tongue at him and smiled at Tsubasa. Tsubasa sniggered at him and said, "My, my, Mikan. It seems like your boyfriend isn't comfortable with my presence. I should stay away from you to avoid trouble."

Mikan shrugged it off and said, "Ignore him, Tsubasa-senpai, he's just a bit anti-social. And, he's not my boyfriend!"

This time, Ruka was the one who made a comment. "Haha. Not yet, Mikan-chan. Not yet."

Tsubasa and Ruka high-fived each other, but Tsubasa stopped to stare at him. "Wait, aren't you Mikan's ex-boyfriend? Why are you here with her? And, why are you teasing her with lover boy over there?"

Hotaru hit his head and said, "For an old guy, you've got a lot of questions. Nogi's with me. He's dating me now. And, it looks like Mikan will be dating unsociable guy there."

Natsume glared at them and said, "I have a name, you idiots. And, polka-dots is not my girlfriend."

They laughed at him and stared at Mikan and Natsume, who were sitting beside each other. Natsume was trying to ignore Mikan. He was clearly jealous. Tsubasa and Hotaru stared at each other and had an idea.

Tsubasa was sitting beside Mikan. He held her hand and caressed it, flirting with her. Mikan didn't seem to notice and continued to force Natsume to talk to her. He saw what Tsubasa was doing and said, "Oi, paedophile, what the hell are you doing with her hand?"

He snickered to himself and said; "Huh? I don't know what you're talking about. And, the name's _Tsubasa Andou_."

"Whatever. You know what I mean, Andou. You're practically squeezing her hands to death." Natsume said in a-matter-of-fact tone.

Mikan and Ruka stared at the two, confused. Tsubasa grinned. "Oh, this. Hands don't die, Natsume-_kun_. Is there something wrong? Don't tell me you're jealous."

They all looked at him, waiting for his response. He snorted at the older man's question and said, "Yeah right. I'm jealous. And, I'm in love with her."

Mikan didn't understand that Natsume was being sarcastic. She said, "You are?"

They averted their gaze on Natsume and stared at the girl. Natsume looked at her and said, "I was being sarcastic, little girl."

She made an 'oh' sound and laughed. Tsubasa nodded his head slowly and said, "Oh. So, you're not in love with Mikan. Since you're not, I guess it's okay if I ask her out on a date, right? Or, better yet, I'll ask her to be my girlfriend! You wouldn't mind, right?"

Ruka looked at his best friend. He was glaring at his iPhone and was almost pounding on it. Was he even playing with it? He gulped and tried to help his friend. "Uh, Andou, you should stop teasing Natsume already. Who knows when he'll just burst and throw his iPhone straight in your face? He's a sharp-shooter, you know."

Natsume glared at Tsubasa when he laughed. Tsubasa immediately stopped, but was still stifling a laugh. Natsume rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, "Irritating Baldy. Irritating, ugly Baldy. Irritating, old Baldy."

Having heard what he muttered, Mikan hit his head and said, "Tsubasa's not a Baldy, Natsume-kun."

He once again ignored her and continued glaring at the man beside her. Mikan pouted. "Mou, Natsume-kun. Stop ignoring me already. We're too old to play the silent treatment game!"

He ignored her.

She poked his cheeks.

He ignored her again.

She poked his cheeks again.

He ignored her _again_.

She poked his cheeks _again._

Hotaru, Ruka and Tsubasa stared at them.

She poked his cheeks _again._

He ignored her _again_. But, he started twitching. Uh-oh. He's getting pissed off.

She was about to poke his cheeks again when he caught it and glared at her. He said, still not letting go of her finger, "If you won't stop poking my cheeks, I will bite this finger off your hand, you little idiot."

Mikan sniggered and said, "You finally talked to me, Natsume-kun!"

He instantaneously let go of her finger and muttered, "Whatever."

Hotaru, who was taking pictures of them a while ago, said, "Seriously, you guys are acting like love-sick idiots. Get a room already!"

Tsubasa patted Hotaru's shoulder and said, "Hotaru-chan, don't say that. I'll feel jealous! Mikan's mine. Ne, Natsume-kun?"

Natsume glared daggers at him and shoved his middle finger at him.

Mikan glared at Natsume. "Don't do that, Natsume-kun. Your manners please."

"Like you have that, girl-who-loves-to-poke-people's-cheeks girl."

Mikan's eyebrows twitched and it was her turn to shove her middle finger at him. She made a face and said, "Yeah. I don't have manners. Ha!"

After all the bickering, the food finally arrived. They ate peacefully and when they finished eating, Tsubasa started the conversation. "When Hotaru-chan and I talked a few days ago, she told me that Mikan-chan will be having a concert in Natsume-kun's concert hall. Am I right?"

Ruka nodded his head and said, "Yeah. We've been preparing for it, actually. This month has been a pretty hectic one because of it. But, Mikan-chan and Natsume-kun still gives time for their lovey-dovey days."

Hotaru agreed. "If you want, I can give you complimentary pictures of their first date. They held hands. Tsk. Hyuuga's a fast one, isn't he?"

Mikan turned deep red. Natsume looked away, a small shade of red visible in his cheeks. They laughed at them and Tsubasa said, "Care to explain, love birds?"

Natsume rolled his eyes. "It was cold. Little girl over here was almost freezing that it was pitiful. Being a responsible citizen, I just had to help."

"Responsible citizen my butt! You guys were practically wearing couple outfits! And, you even let Mikan wear your aviator shades." Hotaru retorted.

Ruka nodded his head in agreement. "Hotaru's right. It was your favorite aviator shades we're talking about. You've never let me wear it even once and you already let Mikan-chan wear it. She was even wearing your hoodie, wasn't she?"

Natsume couldn't answer. He looked away and muttered something unintelligent. They all stared at Mikan. "How about you, Mikan? Care to explain?"

Mikan blushed more and stuttered, "I.. uh. I.. It wasn't my.. it wasn't my fault! It w-was cold!"

They weren't convinced. Natsume huffed and said, "Sheesh. Turning that into a big issue. I let her wear my hoodie because what she wore was close to nothing. And, if we went out without a disguise, people would notice us and disturb us. My favorite aviator shades was the only thing left in my car that I could let her use to hide her face."

The three made an 'awwwww' sound and Tsubasa said, "You didn't want the people to disturb your date with Mikan-chan, so you decided to let her wear your hoodie and favorite shades. That's so sweet! Who knew you had it in you, Hyuuga."

Natsume banged his iPhone on the table and said, "Oh zip it, you ugly monkeys."

Hotaru clicked her tongue and said, "You didn't deny a thing, so does this mean it's true? That was your real intention? What a fast guy."

Natsume just glared at them and once again muttered something unintelligent. Tsubasa liked what was happening. He whistled and said, "Hmmm. Who knows what you would do to Mikan-chan on your next date? And, what _would_ you do to her? Would you allow her to wear something less decent then? Where would you bring her? To the bar? Or, how about your room? Hmm. I wonder what you'll do there. I'm sure you wouldn't be watching action movies. You'd be doing some REAL action, ne? AND, I'm sure you have a big, spacey bed, don't you? Isn't that convenient, Natsume-_kun_?"

Mikan blushed, turned away and saw Natsume's expression. He wasn't happy about what Tsubasa said, especially about the next date thing. He was trying to control his anger, but he might slip soon.

Ruka saw what Natsume was holding. It was a bread knife. It wasn't sharp, but, it can hurt when you use it to poke someone's eye, no? He looked at Tsubasa and Hotaru, pleading them to stop. He whispered/ "Stop it, you guys. He has anger issues. Andou-kun, you've said too much, especially about Mikan-chan."

With Ruka's last words, Natsume snapped. Being a guy with sensitive ears, Natsume's head snapped towards their direction, his red eyes glaring at them with utmost ferocity. "I do _not_ have anger issues. I thought this day wouldn't be so bad until I met this perverted, ill-mannered old geezer. Polk-dots, stand up. I'll drive you home."

Mikan just stared at him. When she didn't stand up, Natsume took her hand. "I said let's go. Didn't you hear what I said? We're leaving."

He dragged her to stand up and glared at her when she tried to stop him. She stopped right away and let him drag her while she looked at her other companions, who were staring at her with pity. Poor Mikan.

Ruka said, "We should've stopped before this happened, you guys. Poor Mikan-chan. Natsume will be releasing his anger on her. He did it to me before, and he said, well, screamed some harsh words to me."

Tsubasa gave him a sly smile. "You're a guy. Of course he's gonna curse his ass out of you, bunny boy. Mikan's case is different, ne Hotaru-chan? Who knows what that guy might do to my little kouhai?"

Hotaru nodded her head and said, "It looks like he cares for her. I guess he just got pissed off because of Andou. Andou, you shouldn't have made that comment about their next date. And relax, Ruka. If Hyuuga hurts even ONE strand of hair on Mikan, I will make sure that he will suffer in hell for his unforgivable actions. I swear to God that I _will_ kill that pesky cat."

Once Imai Hotaru swaers, she's serious. Ruka sighed and said, "Whatever you say, dear."

* * *

"Natsume-kun." Mikan tried to get Natsume's attention. He ignored her and continued speeding. Mikan was starting to get scared.

She held his hand, gripping on his sleeve, and said, "Natsume-kun. Slow down."

They immediately came to a halt. Natsume banged his hand on the steering wheel and said, "Damn it, Mikan! Didn't you know that the person you introduced to me as your senpai is thinking about perverted stuff? He's been commenting about me bringing you to my room _not_ to watch some action movies, but do some _real_ action in bed?"

Mikan was perplexed. She tried to defend Tsubasa. "He was just joking, Natsume. Don't take it seriously. He does it all the time, I'm used to it."

He gripped on Mikan's hand who was still gripping on his shirt. He held it tightly, so tight that it hurt. Mikan squinted at the pain while Natsume said, "Well, I'm not. I'm not happy with that guy's expressions and I will not let it slip."

"Aren't you being a bit exaggerated about it?" Mikan asked while trying to calm him down. She held his hand that was gripping the stirring wheel.

He stared at the hand for a while and shoved it off. He wouldn't give in to this girl's hypnotic trance. He looked away. "I'm not exaggerating anything. He even implied that I'm a pervert. If I were, you would've been pregnant by now."

Mikan giggled at his statement and said, "That's right. I'm not pregnant, so what he said is not true. There's nothing to fuss-"

"Yes there is! Don't you see that?!" Natsume answered, caging her, her back on the window of the car. Mikan was scared. She has never seen such fire in Natsume's ruby eyes. She held his cheeks and smiled at him.

"You shouldn't worry about me, Natsume-kun. I'm alright. If I needed help, I promise I'll immediately tell you." She said. Natsume saw the honesty in her eyes and stared at her, examining her face. Her cheeks had a pinkish shade obviously because of their position. Her lips were almost as red as her cheeks, but, redder.

He unconsciously licked his lips while staring at hers. She smiled at him, and then her small dimples appeared. It made him totally snap. He neared his face to her, making their distance inches from each other. When she didn't move, he continued until their lips finally touched.

He broke free and looked her in the eye, then kissed her lips once more. He took Mikan's hands and made it encircle his neck. He could hear his heat beat, and he was sure Mikan could hear it, too. When Mikan was finally responding to the kiss, he went insane. He held her cheeks to deepen the kiss and nibbled on her lower lip for access.

Mikan was still a bit taken aback by the kiss given to her by Natsume. It was fierce yet so gentle. When Natsume tried to move away, Mikan held on his neck and tried to reach his lips with hers. Natsume let their lips touch once more, but only for a while.

Embarrassed of what she did, Mikan let go and looked away and muttered, "Sorry.".

Natsume nodded his head and looked away as well, feeling a bit light-headed because of the kiss.

After a while, Natsume finally talked. He said, "Uh, I better drive you home. It's getting late."

It was so awkward. They couldn't talk at all. What they did was merely out of impulse. Mikan thought; '_Why did I let him kiss me? And, why did I kiss back? Oh boy. This is gonna be awkward.'_

Natsume also thought; '_Shit. I lost control of myself. I hope she didn't regret kissing me back. Damn those kissable lips. I wanna kiss her again. Shit. Stop it, Natsume. Stop thinking about that.'_

After a while, they finally reached Mikan's home, but they didn't go down yet. They were quiet. Then, Mikan said, "Thanks for driving me home, Natsume-kun. I guess I'll see you soon. Good night."

He nodded his head and said, "Yeah. See you soon, polka-dots. Good night." He then sped off, leaving Mikan outside their main door, holding her now kissed lips.


End file.
